


Imperfections

by Candi_Demon



Category: BlockB - Fandom, DBSK, DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Block b jiho, Block b yukwon, Block b zico, Boy Love, DBSK - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Healing, Jiho is a pushover, Kitty jaejoong, Kitty kwon, M/M, Shifter, Shifters, Smut, Supernatural Elements, What Have I Done, What am I doing?, What is going on, Yaoi, Yookwon - Freeform, Yukwon - Freeform, YunJae, Zikwon - Freeform, block b - Freeform, kim yukwon - Freeform, surviving abuse, tvxq - Freeform, zico - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2020-10-16 22:41:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20610551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candi_Demon/pseuds/Candi_Demon
Summary: Yookwon has lived his entire life held captive and abused by the people you're supposed to trust the most in life. Yunho, his uncle, saves him from a fate worse than death. Then he wakes up to a face he's never seen before and life as he knows it changes forever.OrJiho, Jaejoong, and Yunho save Yookwon from his crazy abusive parents. Yookwon learns he is a shifter and falls in love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title ;; Imperfections.  
Author ;; Candi_Demon.  
Genre ;; Violence, Abuse, Smut, Supernatural, Fluffy moments.  
Tags ;; ZiKwon, YunJae  
Pairing ;; Main :: Zico X Yukwon. Side :: Jaejoong X Yunho  
Length ;; ?  
Rating ;; R, for adult activity, hard language, trigger warnings, and sexually-oriented activity
> 
> Disclaimer ;; I do not own any persons in this thread, I am only borrowing their names and faces. They belong to themselves or to each other, whatever. The words are all mine though, so no stealing.
> 
> Note ;; I'm horrible at writing descriptions and whatnot. So please ignore how bad this is!

RATED FOR DETAILED ABUSE, PLEASE SKIP DOWN TO THE NEXT - - - IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SKIP IT.

Prologue:

An ear-piercing scream echoed through one of the largest houses in the Gangnam district of Seoul. A sound that was so heart-wrenching that if any ears had heard it, people would come running to assist the one screaming. The screaming sounded throughout the mansion again, this time though; the scream was filled with hiccups and then muffled groans. Standing outside of the home, one would never guess what was happening inside. Down marble flights of stairs through archways filled with gleaming surfaces and pictures of a smiling family that does not exist. None other than Kim Moonbae owns this mansion, famous for holding nearly half of the land in Gangnam and then more buildings in the business district. The man was married to world-renowned fashion designer Kim Suyun whose clothing lights up more runways and stages then the studs in a leather jacket.

Beneath the Kim family mansion, corruption and fear stained the walls of the basement, and it wasn't the only thing on the walls. Blood dried in splotches, crusty and thick over chains embedded in the walls. Trails of it weaved their way on the floor to a significant drain in the middle of the room. A bare bulb hung from a single cord from the roof, and one single table rested in the corner of the room. On top of the table were forsaken items, tools of the elder Kim's favorite pastime. In the corner of the room lay a tiny being huddled in a tattered blanket covered in filth unmentionable, the blanket scratching roughly against the beings bare skin. Trembling in the frigid air, the figure sniffled and tried to curl itself deeper into the blanket.

In the darkness of the basement, the figure shuffled around enough to pop its head from blanket to try to get some stale air into its nose. The crop of red hair matted down with deep-rooted blood and thicker things around a small face. Chaffed lips opened a sliver to suck in air, but it only caused the being to hiss as the skin started to split and bleed. A pink tongue slowly tried to lick his lips back to health. His slightly upturned nose sniffled again, as his hand came out of the blankets to rub at his eyes. All the rubbing succeeded in was hurting his eyes and making his vision blurry. He dropped hands to pull the blanket closer around him, trying to steal what little warmth the blanket could offer. Dried blood coating the blanket and figure both, it has been so long since he has known what a clean blanket was supposed to feel like, that he doesn't even care anymore. 

The males’ train of thought, as short as it was, quickly became derailed when he heard the very familiar sound of a door opening above him. A dark feeling filled his heart, it looming over him and causing his breathing to hitch and heart to beat widely in his cheat. He knew what that sound meant; they were home. Stark fear ran through his veins as he listened to footsteps draw near the hatch that led to his torture chamber. It wouldn't take long for them to come to him. He is the first thing they deal with when they come to the mansion every day. Taking a few breaths in, he tried to slow his heart rate, to calm himself down before they open the door.

It didn't work.

Black orbs moved to watch part of the roof disappear, and a ladder descends to smash against the floor. Watching as what appeared to be a water hose fall to the floor and angrily uncurled. Oh god, not water, not again. His eyes darted back up to the top of the stairs when a pair of heeled boots started to flow down the stairs, the heels hitting the ground, becoming the only sound in the room. Water plus her? Was he finally going to die today? Was she finally going to drown him, squashing his life out with that five-inch spike on her heel? A feeling quickly spread through his chest, warming his heart in a way that no blanket could ever do. Was this... hope? Was he hoping for his death now? Yes, yes, he was. Being too much of a coward to do it himself, he would just pray every day that they will finally put an end to this vicious cycle of pain and misery.

The heeled boots finally hit the basement floor, revealing a petite woman. Tight jeans encased tiny things, a loose-fitting, long sleeve and the see-through shirt was over a white tank. Strawberry blond hair cut in a short bob surrounded a face that eerily looks just like the male panicking in the corner. The woman turned sharp eyes to look for the male. Once she found him, she smiled a wicked smile that was dripping with malice.

"Kwonnie, what are you doing in the corner? Come say hello."

He couldn't move, his muscles to be stiff with sitting in the same position for so long. Fear also gripped his head and made him slow to start moving. The woman didn't wait long before she stormed her way to him and grabbed him by his hair and yanked him forward. A cry strangled escaped his lips as he fell on his hands and knees. The woman then proceeded to pull him by his hair to the middle of the room. She was dragging him most of the way until he could get his hands and legs to start working enough to crawl where she wanted him, the blanket falling away to reveal naked pale flesh that was covered in mostly healed bruises and cuts.

"I told you Kwonnie, to answer when spoken to."

She lifted her foot and smashed the toe against his side, kicking him a good two feet to the side. Another cry tore from his lips as he rolled over onto his side, another kick to the ribs, and the male heard something crack, another broken rib.

"Are you ignoring me now!?"

Tears started to stream down his face as she started to kick him again. Over and over again, she kicked him in the stomach, legs, and chest, but never once in the face or arms. A hiccupping cry escaped his lips as she stopped and took a step back. Puffs of air rolled from the woman as she tried to catch her breath.

"Now, greet me properly."

The male slowly rose up from the floor, tears of pain raining down his face. Folding his legs under him, his hands resting in fists on his knees, a scratchy tone seeped from the male’s lips, rough with crying and being unused.

"Welcome home, eomeoni."

The woman patted his head hard enough to cause the male to bite his tongue. She then did something he wasn't expecting, and it made him flinch. She let her fingers linger on his face and down his cheek, caressing his skin, cupping his chin in one hand. She then slapped him harshly across the face with her free hand, causing him to hiss in pain and tears to well up in his eyes again. Smack, she hit him one more time before she stepped back and moved to the table behind him. He looked away when she picked up an item he knew she loved. He flinched when heard part of it fall to the floor.

A searing white light painted itself across his vision as pain engulfed his back. The whip licked at his skin repeatedly, each searing tear after another cause the boy to scream out and fall forward until he was crumbled mess of blood, tears, and sweat. Even then, she did not stop. Through the tears and pain, he could tell his back split open in a pattern of the nine-tail whip. The pain was so much all Yookwon could do was cry and beg for it to stop. Oh, how this woman loved to torture him. He lost count of how many times she hit him, and it wasn't until he felt a hand touch his bruised cheek that he realized the whipping had stopped. The agony was causing his vision to blur and black spots to appear when he looked up at her.

"You’re such a beautiful boy, Kwonnie. Nevertheless, dear, you smell awful. That's why I have this here."

She let go of his face in a push that sent him onto his back. The loudest cry of pain escaped him then, tendrils of heat coursing through his veins and the corners of his vision going completely black. When he could, he looked up at her and watched with fear as she sauntered towards the house and picked it up. Eye widening when he saw that the end had some handle that could change the pressure, he was so dead.

Kim Suyun turned back to her 'son’, didn’t give a warning before she tightened her hold on the nozzle, and started to spray him. The water was like ice as it hit his bruised and torn body. Another cry escaped him as he tried to block the water from his face. Gurgling on the downpour of water as it started to pound against his skin. He cried out for her to stop, and that only cause her to spray him in the broken ribs. She walked around him and sprayed him from all sides for nearly forty minutes, water beating against his skin, of trying to get her to stop, of choking on water and having to hold his breath. Yookwon laid on the floor, curled on his side, breathing coming out in pants, shivering, skin pale and lips turning blue. The water finally stopped, and he got the first full breath of air. He had no energy left. He was completely spent. All his mind could register was the pain emitting from his body. His eyes were open, but all he could see was darkness. Flowing, freezing darkness; a kind of darkness that penetrates your soul and causes your mind to go completely blank.

He didn't know that as he blacked out, a man entered the basement and lifted the still bleeding Yookwon into his arms. He was completely gone as he was carried up the ladder and through the house. The man carried the boy to a pristine white room, laid him face down on a metal table with a hole connected to a tube that led to a drain in the corner of the room. The man pulled a rolling table closer to him. Other than the two tables, there was no real furniture in the room. Bright lights dotted the roof, and small sprayer with sterile water sat attached to the rolling table. The male then proceeded to clean the wounds on his back, making sure to stitch together the deeper wounds. After cleaning his back, the man then cleaned up the rest of Yookwon. He was making sure to clean every inch of Yookwon's skin until there wasn't a single speck of dirt on him. After the man laid a white sheet across Yookwon’s lower half, he turned to Suyun who was standing in the doorway.

"Love, he's so boring now. He doesn't fight back anymore; all he does is moan and groan. It's annoying."

Suyun pouted as she spoke, the woman finally bored with torturing her son. The man wiped his hands on a towel, set it on the rolling cart, and walked over to Suyun. She reached out to take her in his arms and laying kisses all over the side of her face. He licked the shell of her ear, speaking low. "And what shall we do with him?" the woman shivered, fingers intertwining into the man’s shirt.

"M-Moonbae-ah, I don't care, just send him anywhere. I don't want to see his face come morning." she started to pant as Moonbae started to nibble at her neck, then he pushed her away.

"Go upstairs and get ready for dinner with the Choi's. You have an hour." the woman nodded, turned on her heel and bolted upstairs. Moonbae pulled out his phone and dialed a number he hasn't called in a very long time.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Jehlloo~ Jung residence, Jaejoong here."

Jaejoong answered the phone with a happy tone as he plopped down onto the couch, folding his long legs underneath him and looking for the large black cat he loved so much. He tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder and picking up the cat as he walked past the couch. Jaejoong placed the cat in his lap and adjusted the phone. "Hello? Anyone there?" Speaking again into the phone and getting no response. "Look if you don't say anything soon, I'm going to hang up."

"Don't hang up, is Yunho there?"

"Who is this?"

"Is he there or not?"

"Rude much, yeah, he is. I’m not going to put him on until you tell me who you are.”

“It’s his brother.”

Jaejoong pouted at the cat in his lap as the big fat boy rolled over so his stomach so he could be scratched, but when the man said those words, he froze. Yunho has told him many times if a man said he was his brother ever called to put him on and not to talk to him. Mouthing, ‘oh shit’ repeatedly as he stuttered a response. “H-hold on, okay...” His finger smashed the mute button and jumped off the couch, the fat cat hissing loudly at him as he fell to the ground. “Sorry, Obbie! Umma needs to find Appa!” The frantic male flew up the stairs of their simple two-story home and entered Yunho’s study without knocking.

“Yunho! Y-your brother is on the phone! Here! Here!”

“Huh?” Jaejoong shoved the phone into his husband’s hands. “Brother! Brother! Yunho love, he is on the phone. It’s on mute, but answer it, hurry!”

Jaejoong left the office and slowly paced the hall. When he heard his name being softly called, he walked back into Yunho’s office. His eyes going to the phone in the older males hands. Jaejoong then looked at Yunho's expression and inwardly cringed. Eyes slightly glazed over and downcast, like he wasn't seeing the phone he was staring at. He looked completely lost. Instead of speaking, the smaller male moved to curl up into Yunho's lap. Arms going around his shoulder and nose tucked into the crook of his neck.

It was only a second before Joongie felt arms wrap tightly around his waist. The two of them sat like this for a while, taking comfort in each other’s innocent touch. Jae was scared. Yunho was only like this when he was angry or scared. All he could do was wait until Yunho was ready to tell him whatever that man had said. It felt like ages, but when he finally spoke, his voice was rough, and Jae flinched at his tone.

"We need to save him...”

"Save who?" Jaejoong asked softly against the other's neck.

"My nephew... In the morning, that ass is going to be sending him to some forsaken corner of the planet. We can't let that asshole send him away. Hell, Jae, he doesn't even know what he is!"

The blonde male sat back and stared at Yunho in disbelief. He had no idea Yunho even had a nephew or that he was like them. Not only that but the boy’s father was going to send him off without even telling him what he was? What kind of cruel person would do that? Only knowing about his brother because of the warning, when Jaejoong asked about Yunho’s family, he always closes up and tells him not to bring it up. It always scared Jae whenever Yunho clammed up like that. How could the child not know what he was? Jae manifested his other side when he was a pre-teen, as most shifted did. What could have happened to him for his other side to stay hidden for so long? Jae could only wonder. 

"W-what can we do Yunho?"

The older male finally looked up at him for the first time since the phone call, anger glittering brightly in his eyes. "I don't know yet, Jaejoong. I will bring him back here by morning or die trying."

Jaejoong’s breath caught and tears formed in his eyes, fingers clutched tightly to his lover's clothing. His heart started to thud heavily in his chest. Just the thought of Yunho leaving him caused him to go into a panic attack. His face was turning colors since he forgot how to breathe.

"Oh shit, Joongie breath. Come on, baby. In and out, there you go." A hand started to rub his back in soothing motions as he took a deep breath and let it out shakily. Goosebumps covered his flesh as Yunho blew cool air towards his face. Jae took shallow breaths as he started to calm down, averting looking at Yunho in the eye as well.

"Sorry love. He wouldn't dare hurt me."

"That's not going to stop me from worrying, you know."

"I know love, but shh... Just try not to, okay? Now I gotta call a few people to start arranging his pickup. Why don't you go set up the guest bedroom for him?"

The Jaejoong perked up a little at that sentence. "Are you sure you want me to leave?" He questioned the older. Jae watched the others expression closely, seeing pain and sadness reflect in them before determination took hold. Yunho gave him one solid nod before kissing the brunette on the cheek. “Okay. I’ll have my phone if you need me. I love you, Yunho. Be careful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crossed posted.   
https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/338078/


	2. Chapter 2

Loud buzzing woke a single gray haired figure up angrily, he fucking hated to be woken up before the sun was completely down. It made him too groggy to think straight. Lifting himself up from a mound of pillows and blankets, the figure lifted up with his hands and knees and sat on his butt. Eyes still closed as the blankets fell around him to expose his nearly nude flesh to the room. Goosebumps covered his skin as he blindly reached out to the dresser to pick up the phone and place it to his ear.

“What?"

"Is that how you always answer your phone, Woo Jiho?"

Oh, shit! Quickly brushing his eyes with the back of his hands and stuttering out a response before the man could get annoyed with him. "M-mianhae hyung. It’s still early as shit you know.”

"Yeah I know, and that is why I called. I have something for you, something big. Be here in an hour and come straight to my office."

At that, Jiho finally pried his eyes open and stared at the wall as he said a simple "Neh" before the man hung up the phone. The older male never called him unless he had to run some 'errands' for him. Whenever he hears 'something big' it meant someone was dying tonight because like idiots, they thought they could touch what belonged to someone else. Plus, he was getting a fat wad of cash. Slowly Jiho rolled out of the bed and sauntered his way towards a pile of clothes that were mostly clean. Lifting a black tank up and sniffing it to make sure it didn't have any blood or funk on it before slipping it over his torso. Pants, pants pants... Hopping around piles until he found his favorite black pair that had more holes then fabric, then finding his leather jacket and studded high tops. Jiho slipped his phone, cigarettes and lighter into his jacket pockets as he moved through his shitty ass two-room apartment. Stopping at the bathroom to check out the mirror and brush his teeth. Then, he moved to the ‘guest’ bedroom.

The room was completely bare except for a single drawer dresser and a rolling chair. On top of the dresser was a slim laptop that was propped open and blinking at him. “Aish, I forgot to turn you off again.” Jiho pouted as he moved to the chair, spinning in it as he sat down. He clicked a few buttons and the laptop started its shutdown process. As he waited, he opened the drawer and pulled out a black box, set it on top of the dresser and opened it. “Ah, my pretty baby!” He squealed like a fan girl as he pulled out the gleaming metal. A silver Desert Eagle handgun, with a pink handle and pink lettering ‘Hello Kitty’ etched into the slide, along with an image of Hello Kitty on either side of the grip. Oh, how he loved his Kitty, when he bought this gun in the gun shop, the sales person looked at him as if he was completely crazy. A rough ass boy like him buying a pink gun, crazy right? But Jiho fucking loves his Kitty!

With swift hands, he loaded her with her little pink bullets and slipped her into the back of his pants as he stood back up. After fixing his jacket and putting the box away, Jiho left his apartment and started his way to the one place he spent more time at than his own home.

It took nearly an hour of bus rides, people staring and him nearly punching someone in the face for staring at him too long. After slipping off the bus Jiho shoved his hands into his jacket pocket and decided to walk around a few blocks before going to the house he needs to be. So, if anyone was following him they would back off after a few minutes of going in circles. After three turns to the life and four to the right, he finally made the turn to the right street and crossed through a thin alleyway. Jiho didn’t bother to go to the front door, instead, he went straight to the back of the house and entered through the back door. Jiho wasn’t allowed to use the front door, the last time he did he was yelled at for tracking blood through the house. He did not want to be yelled at again, it just sucked to be yelled at a man who was five centimeters shorter than he was.

Jiho kicked off his shoes at the door and then padded through the house, ignoring that damn cat that started to hiss at him while he walked through the living room. “Stupid fucking cat, why don’t they just kill you already!” The cat hissed at him again and Jiho lifted his hand and made a claw motion. “Rawr to you too, bitch face.” Jiho made a face at the cat one more time before turning and heading up the stairs. Entering the room he knew was the office; Jiho slammed the door shut and pouted at the man sitting at his desk.

“Yunho hyung, I’m going to end up eating your cat one day just because I’m tired of him hissing at me.”

The older male looked up from a file in his hand and eyed him, “If you eat Jaejoong’s cat, he will throw the world’s biggest hissy fit.”

“And try to scratch my eyes out again… Man I have no idea how you put up with him.”

Jiho plopped down in one of the two leather chairs in front of Yunho’s desk, his eyes taking in the room as he does every time he comes here. A glass desk, sweet leather chairs, dark walls with shelves randomly stuck in places with picture frame on some. A very modern room and Jiho hated it. He would rather have mismatching furniture, something cozier. When Yunho slide his glasses off his face and set then on the desk, Jiho finally drew his eyes back over to the older male.

“What’s up hyung? You look worried as shit…”

“Yeah, what I’m about to tell you doesn’t go to the boys okay? This is something you have to do by yourself.”

Jiho looked at him as if he was absolutely crazy, not tell the boys? How could he keep something from Youngjae and Daehyun? They were like his only friends he told them mostly everything. “Are you sure hyung? I might need them.”

The brunette shook his head as he answered. “Do not tell them a thing, and then when we are done, do not tell them what we did.”

Jiho could only nod, when Yunho became serious like this, there was no way he could say no. The man was a tank when he was angry. “Okay hyung, what is it we have to do?”

“We’re going to break into a home and steal a package from them.”

What? Was he serious? Jiho scoffed and leaned back into his chair, a leg going over the arm of the chair. “Are you serious hyung? Stealing something? And we are going to be doing this?”

Yunho nodded his head and pushed a file closer to Jiho. The younger male sat up and took the file into his hands, eyes quickly scanning the information. “Kim family mansion in Gangnam? What could we possible need from there?” He flipped a few more pages of useless information on what they couple did for a living and their schedule; he froze when he saw a picture of a male.

“Who is this Yunho hyung?”

He didn’t have to tilt the file for Yunho to see because the man had made the file and would already know every letter inside of it. There were no information on the male other than his name, no height, no weight, no school, no job, nothing. It wasn’t like Yunho to leave out information like that.

“Kim Yookwon is Kim Moonbae and Kim Suyun’s son.”

Jiho nodded and continued to look through the file but there wasn’t anything else in the file, nothing on any kind of package they would need to get to. This wasn’t right, he was missing something. “What are we really doing hyung? I don’t want to get shot again.”

“Woo Jiho, we are going to be releasing Kim Yookwon from his chains and bring him to the light.”

What the fuck was that supposed to mean? He had no idea and all he could do was stare at the picture in his hands. It was a cropped from a family portrait; the teen was looking at the camera with completely dead eyes. Eyes that didn’t match the smile that played along his lips. Jiho had the sudden urge to hug the male in the picture. Instead, he flipped the file closed and tossed it to the desk, leaning back into the position he had previously been sitting in. By that file he could assume they were going to kidnap the kid. Shit deal for him, but oh well.

“When?”

“Since it took you over and hour to get here. Now.”

Yunho stood and as he did, Jiho noticed the bulge at his left side, even underneath his perfectly tailored suit jacket the gun stuck out. “Are you packing Jiho?”

“ ‘Course hyung, I never leave home without Kitty.”

That caused Yunho to finally crack a smile, the older male patting him on the shoulder as they left the house, Jiho going through the back door and Yunho through the front. Jiho slipped through the side door to the garage just as Yunho was opening the garage door to walk inside. “You know hyung, I really don’t get why you let Jaejoong take the Lexus all the time. That baby is a beast!”

“Well Zico-yah. I freaking love this Hummer!”

Damn, Yunho called him Zico, meant it was time to use code names. They never made sense to Jiho since the names were so close to their real ones. But whatever, he never argued with Yunho.

“U-Know, this jeep is a piece of shit! It’s too damn big to be sneaky!”

The older male laughed as they both climbed into the giant black mammoth that was Yunho’s Hummer H1. The military style of it usually drew so much freaking attention that Jiho wanted to punch his hyung in the face, but he wouldn’t because his head would get ripped off and he liked his head where it was. The boys chatted about their plan on their drive to the other side of Gangnam. Jiho had pulled out Kitty from the back of his pants and slipped it under his seat. He had a license that said he could carry it around, but cops didn’t like it when you had it shoved down your pants instead of in a proper holster. Plus with his appearance, they would shot him first and ask questions later. Which he has dealt with before, a scar in his right shoulder proves it too. Cops suck, every single one of them.

It was midnight when they finally pulled up to a giant mansion with a thick gates and a driveway that went on for nearly a quarter mile, Jiho quirked a brow at Yunho as they drove right past the house and parked in an alley as close to the gate he could get. Yunho didn’t get out, instead he turned to Jiho and pulled out a key from his pocket.

“This should let you in through the side door; he will either be on the first floor, or the third.”

“H-hyung… you’re not going to go in?”

“Ani, go already, take Kitty with you. If anyone tries to stop you, kill ‘em. Oh and don’t steal anything.”

Jiho grinned at that, he was going to have some fun tonight! He jumped out of the H1, turned and slid his hand under the chair. He pulled out Kitty and cocked her, having a round in the chamber was dangerous to do, but he didn’t want to wait that extra half second it would take to load the round when he needed to be firing. He then dropped everything he had in his pockets onto the seat, making sure he doesn’t have anything that could leave any evidence of him being there. Right before he shut the door, he reached back over and grabbed his phone, just incase he needs it.

“Hyung, if I’m not back in ten minutes, come and kill me.” He glanced at Yunho and winked at the older male before turning and climbing on top of the H1. It was something he usually said about all the time he runs stuff for Yunho, but the time limit is usually much larger than that. Right now, that doesn’t matter though. Stuffing Kitty into his jacket pocket, Jiho reached out and grabbed the top of the cement gate, fingers barely getting a grip on the slippery material. Lucky for him he was tall enough to stretch out a bit more and grab into the metal bars on top of the high ass concrete wall. With a good grip, he pulled himself up and over the wall, plant his feet in the small space he had, Jiho sighed as he saw the drop. This was going to hurt like hell. He pulled a lung full of air in and jumped down, rolling as soon as he hit the ground. The roll didn’t stop the impact from hurting, it just kept him from spraining anything. Little did he know that under the thin grass was rocks and boy did those babies hurt. A few of them stabbing him in the back, hands and knees as he slowly rolled to get up. “Fucking Yunho, he owns me big time.” The male muttered to himself as he started towards the house. Wincing when he heard a branch snap under his own foot. Damn it all to hell, he was going to give himself a heart attack. Jiho eyed the building, looking for that mysterious side door Yunho was talking about, there! Off to the side about three feet from where he stood, he saw the door standing there, all innocent and shit. It looked like a staff entrance, something normal guest would never see. Perfect. Walking right up to the door as if he should be there, Jiho quickly unlocked the door and entered the home, making sure to lock it behind him. People always notice when something they locked is suddenly unlocked.

The intruder slowly made his way through the servant halls; it took him a good minute to find stairs that led up. He peeked into every room he could find on the first floor, bathroom, bedroom, more and more of each of those, a study, a library, what looked like a parlor. Holy shiz balls, how many rooms did this place need? Of course it wasn’t until the last room did he find something odd. The door was locked and he had to break the handle to get the door open. A blinding white room greeted his eyes. Fucking A, from the design of the rest of the home, this room was just odd. That is when he spotted a figure on a table in the middle of the room. As he drew closer, he had to cover his mouth so he didn’t throw up. The back of the person was torn to shreds. It looked like something out of a meat grinder. He stopped beside the table and looked at the wounds closer; they were mostly healed already. Sticking out of the skin in a few places were stitches so it was obvious the wounds were worst then what they look like now. The males back was slowly lifting and falling, so he assumed the person was still alive. Jiho walked around the table to get a closer look at the person face.

Kim Yookwon lay in an almost peaceful sleep, it was probably drug induced, but still he looked so innocent. Why the fuck would people like Kim Moonbae and Kim Suyun let this happen to their son? What in the hell were they thinking? Shit, how was he supposed to get the male back over the fence? He pulled out his phone and quickly texted Yunho.

TO >> U-Know ;; injured, new plan?

It took nearly a minute to get a response from the male, and in that time, Jiho reached over and pulled up Yookwon’s lid. Total drug induced; there was no way this boy was going to wake up any time soon. Jiho bite his lip, fuck, how was he supposed to get this boy out of here without hurting him more? Just then, his pocket buzzed.

FROM << U-Know ;; back gate.

Grawr, that was even farther than where he had come in. Shiz balls. Letting out a breath, he reached over and poked Yookwon, just making sure the male wasn’t going to wake up. He didn’t even twitch. Jiho let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding and then slipped off his leather jacket. Slipping it onto Yookwon and then slowly setting him up so that Jiho could get a good hold onto him. Jiho really wished he could find some pants for him, but that would take too much time and it only had about two minutes left. Tying the white sheet that was already laying in Yookwon’s lap, around his waist to at least give him some kind of privacy. As the blonde lifted Yookwon into his arms bridal style, the red haired boy’s head lulled to the side and ended up tucked against his shoulder. He was so freaking light; he practically weighed nothing at all. Jiho quickly made his way out of the horribly white room and made his way back the way he had come. Making sure to stop and check around corners before continuing. When he got to the door, he struggled to open it with one hand and nearly dropped Yookwon when it swung open on its own.

Jiho was the first to recover. “Palli hyung.” That was all he needed to say for Yunho to start moving again. The older male lead the way to the back gate. It also looked like it was use for servants because it wasn’t as elaborate as the front one. Just a messily thing of metal that was wide open, Yunho’s Hummer parked with its rear inside. Jiho noticed offhand that the license plate wasn’t where it was supposed to be.

Yunho opened the rear hatch and Jiho didn’t even bother to set Yookwon down, instead, he just crawled in with him. Apparently, Yunho hadn’t just been sitting in the truck, the back rows of seats were down and there was a medical kit sitting just behind the driver seat. The instant Jiho sat down, the door slammed shut, and Yunho jumped into the driver seat. They went forward about ten feet before they stopped again. Jiho didn’t see what Yunho was doing, he assumed that he was shutting the gate. Jiho looked down at the still passed out Yookwon and shifted them around a bit more so that the other male was laying on his side and still pretty much in his arms. A little worried that if they hit a bump Yookwon’s cuts will open back up, he really didn’t want to deal with that. When Yunho slid back into the driver seat, Jiho didn’t say anything, not for at least twenty minutes then he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“What the fuck hyung!? They sliced up his back, his entire body is covered in bruises, his face is sunken and he is all skin and bones! What kind of people are they? How do you know them? Why did we just do this? And what the fuck!!!!”

He was panting and angry, he wanted answered and he wanted them now. Yunho only gave him silence as an answer. “Yah, Jung Yunho, if you don’t say something then you can count me out. I’m fucking down with this shit.” Yunho glanced into the rear view mirror and right into Jiho eyes.

“I will explain everything once he is safe; now shut your fucking mouth before I rip out your tongue.”

Jiho’s mouth snapped shut, he liked his tongue and this wasn’t the first time Yunho had threatened him. The younger male knew first hand that he always backed up his threats. So he stayed silent until they arrived back at Yunho home. Jiho didn’t let Yunho take the sleeping male as he got out of the Hummer. Instead, he just lifted him up higher and scowled at the other male. Yunho sighed but didn’t say anything. Jiho followed his ‘boss’ into the house and into a guest room. A room he has actually slept in before when he didn’t want to take the bus home, and Jaejoong was feeling nice.

Something strange happened though, when he set the sleeping Yookwon down on the bed, he felt a hand tightened into his shirt. He had to sit back a little to see that the red head had somehow twisted his fingers and the cloth of his shirt into a tight grip. Jiho tried to pry his fingers off and that only caused Yookwon’s brows to crease and a small noise to escape his lips. Oh, shit that was so adorable! That was the very first thought Jiho had before he realized the male was drugged and was probably having a nightmare. He tried again to pull away and that only cause Yookwon to try to pull him closer.

“Just give up and sleep in the bed with him, Jiho-ah.”

Hearing a soft voice, Jiho glance up at the doorway, he spotted Jaejoong wearing pink pajamas pants with little hearts all over them and an oversized gray shirt that fell mid-thigh. “Why the hell would I do that? I don’t even know him.”

“And? The first time I met Yunho we were both naked.”

“Ew, that’s just fucking nasty, Jaejoong hyung.”

“Yah! I said no cussing in my house!”

“Arraso!! But it’s still gross.”

“Whatever.” Jiho pouted at Jaejoong’s eye roll.

“He’s hurt hyung,”

“He’ll heal better if someone is close and you’re already there. Just stay there. I’ll come wake you both up when it’s time for breakfast."

What the fuck? What does he mean he’ll heal better? Before Jiho could say anything else, Jaejoong left the room in a swirl of rainbows and fairy farts. Mentally groaning at how freaking gay that man could be sometimes, he really didn’t need to be so girly all the time. His attention was brought to the bed beside him when he felt Yookwon suddenly move. The injured male had rolled over towards Jiho, tucking his nose against the sitting male’s side. Jiho watched as Yookwon’s furrowed features slowly smooth out and that innocent look to fill his face again. He growled at no one in particular and reached over to pull the jacket from Yookwon’s form. There was no way he would let the guy sleep in his jacket, not with the gun in its pocket. Once that was draped over a chair and Kitty was tucked under his pillow, he moved around the red head until he was on his belly and under the sheets. Jiho laid on top of the sheets with his jeans and tank still on. He was on his side with an arm over Yookwon’s head and the other tucked between them. Usually he slept naked so tonight was going to suck!

He didn’t think he was going to be able to fall asleep, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he was gone to the world.


	3. Chapter 3

A feeling enveloped Yookwon in a way he never felt before. A kind of feeling that went down to his very core; it was causing his skin to heat. Small beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Like a switch, his eyes flew open as he came to full consciousness. An unfamiliar wall greeted his eyes; it was pale gray and had slightly darker gray lines swirling randomly from floor to ceiling. Slowly his eyes traveled from the wall and up to a small table beside him. Atop the white table lay a single square-shaped lamp that even had a square shade on it. Next to the light was a small black box with vibrant green symbols on it. All the things he has seen in the 30 seconds since he woke up were nothing he has ever seen before. Where was he? This room did not look like his parents home. 

A blanket that had no holes and still had the stuffing inside of it wrapped around him. His eyes slid down to look at what he was on and realized he was tucked snuggly into a bed. That feeling that engulfed him was warmth, something he has never felt before. All he has ever known is frigid cold air and slightly less cold air.

Yookwon couldn't help but sniff the blanket, a soft flowery scent mixed with some sharp scent tickled his senses. He has never smelt this kind of scent before. It filled his nose and made him want to smile. He took another deep shuddering breath and nearly choked on air when a band tightened around his waist — pulling him against a wall, he hadn't noticed behind him before.

A flash of ice shot through his body, freezing him in place. Ever so slowly, Yookwon turned his head, fearing that he would be in bed with someone. A gray tuft of hair tickled his cheek, the band around his stomach moving and gripping tightly onto the blankets at his chest. He whimpered, his bottom lip quivering as his eyes scanned the hair, trying to find a face. He was in bed with someone and that someone who was touching him. A high pitched pathetic noise escaped Yookwon. The person in the bed with him slowly lifted their head. One tired eye opened while the other was squeezed tightly shut. Perfectly arched brows quirked at him, an arched nose that led to large pouty lips were nearly an inch away from Yookwon's face. Unfamiliar. Words echoed in his head.

What do you do Yookwon love, when someone other than I touches you? Huh! Yookwon! Answer your fucking mother! 

Slap. 

Now answer me! What do you do?!

Run.. emmonie. I run. They will only cause me more pain. 

Good boy.

Yookwon let out a shrill scream that echoed off the walls and tried to move away from the person. Blankets and sheets were thrown everywhere as he fell from the bed into scrambled into the corner of the room. Huddled and panting wildly, his heart pounded in his ears. Oh, no. Please, no. They had finally gotten tired of him and gotten rid of him? Did they sell him to, to some person? He stared wide-eyed at the male that slowly stretch to look at him from the bed. ".s-ss-stay away f-from me..." he stuttered his way through the sentence. Unfamiliar and uncertain words were making him sound more like a child. The person on the bed leaned up on one arm and ruffled his hair. Yookwon wrapped his arms more tightly around his legs, his body starting to shake uncontrollably. Fear taking a grip on his body.

A few seconds passed before the bedroom door, which was opposite of his corner, flew open. Yookwon's eyes darted to the figure in the darkened doorway. His whole body flinched and huddled into the corner further. All his mind was repeating; please, please. don't hurt me. I made too much noise, and now they are going to hurt me. His squeezed his eyes shut and tried to force himself further into the corner.

The shadow turned into a man as he reached out against the wall, flicking a blinding light on in the room. Yookwon let out a helpless noise and shielded his eyes from the light, even with his eyes shut; the light was too bright from him. 

"Yookwon! Yookwon breath, slowly. Open your eyes, come on." 

A voice spoke to him softly, over and over again. Repeating the same few words: open your eyes, breath, please Yookwon. It took some time for the voice to make since to Yookwon. He vaguely recognized the sound from his childhood. Yookwon dared to peek from behind his hands. The man kneeled in front of him had dark hair and bright eyes filled with a look he didn't understand, but he did recognize the face. It was much older then last time he saw it; fine lines around the eyes, lips drawn in a straight line, but it was still someone he knew. The same man who held him when he was small and crying because his parents said or did something to him. 

"Y-Yunho?" 

Uncertainty in his voice as he spoke, but he didn't wait for the older male to speak. Instead, Yookwon burst into tears and launched himself at the other. His hands went around the elder's neck, and he tucked his nose against Yunho. He took a deep breath of Yunho's scent, some fragrance he didn't recognize, but it still smelled a little minty. Underneath that was the spicy scent of his uncle, a smell that was embedded into his mind forever. He felt the older males arms wrap around him in a tight embrace. The older man was saying something, but he couldn't hear it, not over his weeping. If Yunho was here, then he was safe. Nothing could hurt him if Yunho were around. A soothing hand slowly slid along his back, and fingers played through his sticky shoulder-length hair. 

Yookwon wasn't sure how long they sat on the floor, but he didn't want to move from Yunho's embrace. It was too soon that Yunho pulled away from him. Large hands pushed his shoulders backward, and he was asked something. But the red-haired male couldn't see anything past the blurred outline of Yunho, his hands gripping Yunho's shirt and trying to bury himself back into the older males chest. 

"W-w-why?" 

The one word hiccuped from Yookwon; he just wanted to why Yunho was here. Even if he felt safe, it was just a matter of time before his parents came to get him. They will always find him. Until then, he could at least let himself not think about them. 

"Yookwon, shh no- oh huh?" Following the line of Yunho's turned head to see another male standing just behind him. Bright pink pants greeted his eyes, and a gray shirt covered a small and thin man that had a hand on Yunho's shoulder. The guy was staring down at him with a weird look in his eyes, his weird colored hair a beautiful mess upon his head. Yookwon lifted a hand to rub at his eyes until he could see a little better. They were saying something to each other, but his heartbeat was keeping him from actually hearing their words. Yookwon could only stare. Yunho spoke a louder as he turned back towards Yookwon. 

"Jae, will you find Kwonnie some clothes to wear? Come on, get up Yookwon; you need to get cleaned up." Yunho said softly beside him. 

Yookwon used the wall to help push himself up on shaky legs. Yunho took a sheet from the other male and placed around his shoulders, and Yookwon shivered at the sudden change in temperature. The cloth was pulled tightly around him and gripped the sheet to keep it from falling. 

"My name is Jaejoong. You can call me Jae-hyung though." The pretty male in pink shorts said softly from far too close. Yookwon jerked at the voice and took a step to the side.

The male had the brightest smile Yookwon has ever seen in his life, and it fell into a frown as Yookwon's flinch. It kind of hurt to look at this Jaejoong male for very long, so he looked down at the floor and slowly stumbled in the direction Yunho went. He didn't look up until he suddenly ran into a wall. He let out a soft whimper and stumbled back, the sheet slipped from around his shoulders and pooled in his hands around his waist. Eyes were darting to see that the wall he had run into was a wall, but the boy from the bed. Yookwon didn't wait to see what he did; he looked back down to the floor and skirted around him as fast as he could. He heard a gasp from behind him but ignored it and left the room. He would be hit if he didn't listen to Yunho. 

"The bathroom is this way, Kwonnie."

He followed his uncle's voice into a small room that was a soft green color on the walls. The color was something that made him feel a little calmer. Everything else in the place was white though, well except for the dark green plastic sheet hanging from a rail and the small carpet under his feet. He watched with wide eyes as Yunho sat on the edge of a large white object that looked like it would hold a whole lot of blood from spilling everywhere — staring at Yunho as he put a small object into a small silver hole in the white thing. Then Yunho grabbed a silver lever and twisted it. Water suddenly rushed out of another silver thing below it. Yookwon jump at the noise. As soon as he saw the water start to fill in the white thing, he clutched the sheet tighter around him and started to scream.

"No! Yunho! Please, no!" 

Tears started to fall from his eyes again, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to escape this torture room. It couldn't possibly be made for anything else. It was much smaller than his parent's basement, but it must serve the same purpose. He barely made it past the doorway before he was lifted off his feet and pulled back into the room. 

"Calm down Yookwon. It's a bath; you're covered in who knows what. You need to clean it off. Now let's get in the tub." The elder said.

The young male didn't have time to respond before he was heaved into the 'bath.' Water splashed up his nose and down his throat as he struggled to free himself. Limbs went in all directions, tangling with the sheet that was still somehow wrapped around his waist. Another scream tore through his throat, and he lashed out at Yunho. Why would Yunho do this to him? Why would he bring him in here? He barely managed to get into a sitting position with his legs under him, muscles tense and ready to jump out of the bath before Yunho placed a firm hand on his head and pushed him down onto his bottom. 

"Please Yunho, let me out. Please. Please." He begged.

He kept repeating, please, but it only fell on deaf ears because Yunho was reaching over towards the thing the water was rushing out. The male whimpered, reached up and gripped the older males rolled-up sleeve, tugging on it as if it would do something. Now, silently begging Yunho to let him out with his eyes. He watched with wide eyes as the white thing he was in slowly filled until his shaking legs were covered entirely, and it was up to his belly button. A shiver ran up his spine from the warmth that spread around his frail body. Yunho then turned the thing spewing water again, and it stopped. What? The young male stared at it completely dumbfounded. Yookwon cocked his head to the side. The water usually never turned off until he was face down in it.


	4. Chapter 4

Jaejoong paced the living room and adjusted his sweater around his shoulders, unable to sit still any longer. The only thing that had kept him from storming into the bathroom to hug Yookwon was Zico's death glare whenever he got too close to the door. One would think that Zico was some animal with his growls and glares, but nope, that was him. Jaejoong adjusted his sweater once more.

After Yunho had shut the bathroom door in his face, he needed to keep his hands busy, so he had gone and changed into jeans, a pink collared shirt, and a white sweater. It felt too hot to wear the sweater, so he had taken it off, then it felt like he was going to freeze. The male groaned, turned on his heel and started back around the sofa. He was going insane; he wanted to see Yookwon, wanted to make sure he was okay. 

"Jaejoong-hyung, yah going to ruin the floor if ya keep pacing. Sit yah ass down! God fucking dammit yah annoying as shit!" 

The older of the two hissed while he moved around the couch and flopped down into the seat. Arms crossed, cheeks puffed, legs crossed and ankle wiggling angrily. Jaejoong didn't really like being told what to do, but he wasn't a dominant person. Unless his house was dirty, then he went batshit crazy. When someone told him what to do, three-fourths of the time, Jae did it. 

"How can yah sit like that?" Zico questioned him.

"Like what?" 

The male waved a hand at his crossed legs and said: "Like a fairy." 

"There is nothing wrong with the way I sit. It's comfortable." Jae replied with annoyance. 

Zico laughed and shrugged. "If ya say so. " 

Jaejoong pouted and looked towards the doorway, his brows creased with worry. "What do think is taking them so long? I don't even take that long in there." 

The younger make burst out into laughter. "Jealous, Joongie hyung?" 

"Ani! I'm just worried about them. With all that screaming..." He trailed off, voice slowly quieting down. 

"Flipped his shit and attack Yunho?" 

Jaejoong's eyes darted to Zico in surprise, and after a second of looking at the broad grin on Zico's face. Jae scoffed and looked back towards the bathroom. 

"Yunho can protect himself against Yookwon, even if Yookwon has no idea what kind of strength he has." He replied, without thinking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zico questioned him with a raised brow. 

Joongie slapped his hand over his mouth and glanced over towards Zico. Oh no! He wasn't supposed to say that. Yunho was going to kill him! He did it again; he let something slip in front of Zico. He didn't want to smash another lamp over his head. Making the male forget stuff was getting tiring, and blood was hard to get out of the carpet.

"Um.. nothing. I'm just talking about how hurt he is. He'll be stronger once he's completely healed." He hedged around the answer. 

"Yah! Jaejoong. I'm not an idiot. I saw his back today; he's almost completely healed. Tell me why you said dat shit last night too." Zico was staring at him with crossed arms and a hard look. 

Jae pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut around Zico. The male just knew how to get him to say stuff he wasn't supposed to. He needed to talk to Yunho and ask him what he thought about finally telling Zico the truth. It wasn't like he could hide it much longer now, not with Yookwon there. The male was going to be going through a lot of stuff soon. From the way Zico was snuggled up with Yookwon when he checked on them this before sunrise, Zico was going to be around a lot more too.

"Are you going tah say anything?" Zico questioned again.

Jaejoong shook his head. "No, I need to talk to Yunho first."

The younger male scoffed and lifted his feet to place them on the coffee table. Jaejoong glanced over and raised a finger. "Woo Ji Ho, if you put your feet on my table I will send my cat after you!" The gray-haired male growled but put his feet on the ground. 

"Dat's not what I wanna hear, hyung." 

Jaejoong just shrugged and looked at the hallway, hoping that the two males would come out already. He wanted to ask Yookwon so many things. Jae wanted to know what he's been through and why he doesn't know what he is.

It took another half an hour before the bathroom door opened. Joongie shot up from his seat and was around the couch and down the hall before Yunho and Yookwon even stepped out the bathroom. Yunho was utterly soaked up to his shoulders; water splashed across his chest and legs. Yunho looked a little annoyed, but, his eyes held only laughter. Yookwon, on the other hand, seemed calmer and a lot less scared, then he had been since they found him on the floor.

The young male's hair was dripping and soaking the towel that was wrapped around his shoulders. Underneath that mop of red hair, Yookwon's skin was like porcelain. The blood, dirt, and gore that had been caked to his skin now gone. The young male shivered as water dripped onto his shoulders, and they both stared at Jae. The man snapped his fingers with a little 'aha!'. He had forgotten to get Yookwon some clothes to wear. "You both can go back up to the guest room. Yunho, I'll go grab some clothes." 

Jaejoong turned on his heels and ran up the stairs to dig through his closet to find something that might fit the male. Yookwon was shorter by at least two inches and way skinnier then Jaejoong. It was a cat thing, being small and thin. Jae had just been throwing stuff onto the bed and sighed when he realized it had quickly become a huge pile. Oh, he'll just let the male pick whatever he wanted. Picking up a few soft shirts and pants, he quickly made his way back downstairs to the guest room. 

Glancing around, he spotted Yunho was sitting in the one seat in the room. Yookwon was in the middle of the room... on the floor. They were both staring at the ground between them like they were both thinking about the past. 

"Yunho, Why is he sitting on the floor?" Jae questioned the elder softly. 

Both of the boys looked up from the floor with wide eyes, Yookwon instantly looked back to the floor, and Yunho sighed. "He refused to move after he sat down, what was I supposed to do Joongie?" The blonde puffed his cheeks and moved to the bed to drop all the clothing off. He started to sort the pile. Jaejoong didn't own that many jeans, he didn't like the way they felt on his skin, but he grabbed one or two of them. Without turning away from what he was doing, he started to speak to Yookwon. "I know it's not a lot of stuff, and I don't know what your style is. We can go out in the next few days and buy you some more clothes, but until then, you can wear any of them." 

Jaejoong started to show the smaller make different selections of the clothes from the pile but only received a blank stare in return. It was a few more minutes of blank stares and Jae describing each clothing item before he sat down in front of the fear-filled male and leaned close to speak quietly to him directly. “You can pick anything you want to wear. It doesn't matter which. Come.” Jaejoong moved to take Yukwon’s hands to guide him to the bed. A scream tore through the room. The naked male scrambled away from Jaejoong to hide behind Yunho’s chair. Jaejoong wanted to cry, all he wanted was for Yukwon to put some clothes on so that he as warm. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Yunho’s eyes were filled with something he hasn't seen in a long while, fear. 

“Why don't you make something for breakfast? I'm sure everyone is hungry.” Yunho asked quietly, calmly. 

Jaejoong nodded his head and slowly took a step back and stood. He turned to leave the room and paused as he spoke. "Yookwon, I am so sorry, please- just know that I will not hurt you." 

He knew that Yunho could take care of himself and went to the kitchen. He past Zico on the way and motioned for the male to follow him. Neither spoke as Jaejoong moved through the motions of pulling out everything he would need, starting with leftover miso soup from the night before and pancake mix. The process of cooking for double the people had Jaejoong’s mind going from being peaked with worry to calmly humming a tune.

Every few minutes, he would look up at Zico to see what the male was doing. Zico had passed out at the bar, upper body lying across the countertop, head on his arms. When the younger was sleeping, he looked so peaceful. 

Jaejoong was fluffing the rice with a fork when he heard the lightest footsteps hitting the tile floor of the kitchen. He turned to see Yookwon wearing one of the fluffiest sweaters he put in a pile, it loosely hung from his much smaller shoulders, along with a pair of linen pants. The sweater was pale blue, and the pants were white. Being clean and in fresh clothes caused the petite male to appear like a different person altogether. Jaejoong could help the coo that escaped him. 

“HI, the sweater looks good. Have a seat; I made breakfast.” Jae pointed to the kitchen table that was just on the other side of the island that Zico was sitting. Jaejoong turned back to the rice cooker to portion four bowls. He moved to place the rice at a table but stopped dead in his tracks. Yookwon was sitting at the bar beside Zico and was sitting exactly opposite of where the blond was as far away as he could be while still at the bar. Yookwon was staring with wide eyes at Zico, who was still sleeping. Again Jaejoong wanted to coo and scratch behind his ears; instead, he placed the bowl gentle beside the two forms. Jae made sure to walk around the bar on Zico's side instead of walking close to Yookwon. He did not want to cause Yookwon to flinch again or have any fear of him. 

He continued to pile plates until everything and served the two at the bar. Jae then placed his and Yunho’s food on the table instead. He happily smiled as arms encircled his waist just as he put the silverware on the table. A hot breath rolled against his ear, causing him to giggle. “Stop, Yunho you know that tickles.” 

“You know you like it.” A low voice murmured against his ear. 

“Yeah but I'm hungry, and we have guests.” Jaejoong turned in the arms and placed a chaste kiss to the taller’s lips before he escaped to sit. He watched Yunho smile at him before he turned to Zico and smacked the male on the back to wake him up. Zico grumbled unhappily and shoved his face more rooted in his arms. Jaejoong softly laughed at the reaction. It was like the slap was a mosquito bite. Taking his chance to mess with others, Yunho leaned over and whispered something in Zico’s ear. Whatever it was, it made the male shoot up so fast he nearly fell from the chair. Yunho was cackling as he plopped into a chair beside him. 

“What did you say?” Jaejoong questioned with a raised brow.

“Nothing for your pretty self to worry about.” Jaejoong scrunched his nose at that. He wouldn't challenge Yunho on this, if he were supposed to know, then Yunho would tell him. 

Jaejoong took two more bites of his food before he noticed Yookwon staring at Zico again, entirely concentrated on the gray-haired male instead of eating. His eyes were trailing over Zico’s face and hands, and back over again. Yookwon hadn't moved since he sat down. 


	5. Ch 5. Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just realized while writing this chapter, that the only thing yookwon had said in five chapters is his uncle's name and some moans and groans. Oh and why.
> 
> I need to remedy that. ♡
> 
> So.. thoughts? I love comments! 

Yookwon didn’t know what to do. He has never been in a situation like this before. Never has he been in a room that looked like this. Yunho had called it a kit-chen. Yookwon wasn’t sure what that word meant or what the room was for. It was a large room that had two glass doors off to one side. The counters and cabinets looked like wood, Yookwon wasn’t sure if it was real wood or not, but they were all white. There were tall pink flowers in a pretty glass container off to one side. On top of the cabinets were more flowers and other things that Yookwon wasn’t sure the name of, they were big colorful things and then there were a few large flat gray plates. When he had entered it and smelled food, he had understood. He also wasn’t sure what was on the plate in front of him. He has never seen food that looked like this. Nor has he ever seen so much food at once. His mother would only give him cold porridge, and only enough to keep him alive. However, that was only if he was good. Yookwon wasn’t good.

He glanced down at the plate again; it was blue. A pretty blue that shone brightly against the white counter. He looked back up at the male before him. Now that he wasn’t pressed against him, and with some distance between them, he could see more of his face. From his weird colored hair to his long straight nose that was round at the tip, to his plump lips that were wrapped around two silver sticks. Yookwon’s eyes roamed the others form, taking in the different movements the male used as he moved the sticks in his fingers to pick up food from his plate and stick it in his mouth. Yookwon’s head tilted to the side. Never before has been seen someone use something like those before.

“What’re ya starin’ at?” The male questioned him. Yookwon flinched backward, and he looked down, his body hunched. It suddenly grew quiet around them, he hadn’t noticed how loud Jaejoong and Yunho were until that moment. He had to remember not to look at people’s face. Mother would be so angry to know he was being disobedient. She would be so disappointed in him. “Jiho,” The one word from Jaejoong, it was short, but it was low and sharp. Yookwon’s body hunched even lower, hoping that he wouldn’t be on the receiving end of that anger. 

“What, hyung? It was just a question. If there was somethin’ on my face, I’d wanna kno.” The man, Jiho was his name, said. He needed to remember his name. Yookwon heard the sound of the silver sticks hitting the plate again. Yookwon sat quietly and listened to the sounds of metal hitting glass, waiting for someone to tell him what he should be doing. He didn’t want to mess up again. He didn’t want to be yelled at. 

Yoowon’s whole body jolted at a touch to his shoulder. He hunched even further, his stomach turning. He chanced a look at his shoulder. A hand was on his shoulder, he was being touched. His eyes traveled up the arm and he realized it was Yunho. Yunho was the one touching him, Yunho was okay. Yunho was safe. He would be okay. He was okay.

“Yookwon, eat some food, okay?” Yunho was not going to hurt him. Yunho was safe. Yunho wasn’t mother. Yunho wasn’t father. He was safe. Yookwon had to keep repeating those words in his head. Yookwon took a deep breath and nodded his head. He should eat, he wasn’t sure when the next time he would be able to eat was. 

Yookwon waited a few more seconds to see if Yunho changed his mind, or this Jiho would say something else. Yunho patted Yookwon on the head before he moved off to the table. When nobody moved to take his plate or tell him to stop, he slowly reached out and picked a piece of round flat bread-like thing. He tore a small piece off and glanced around; no one was looking at him. Jaejoong and Yunho were both at the table again. Jiho’s head was down, so he wasn’t paying attention to Yookwon. That was good, Yookwon was good. 

Yookwon looked back down to the food in front of him and stuck the soft bread in his mouth. A noise escaped him, it was… it was sweet. The velvety texture of the bread was pleasant to his tongue. Something he never was able to have before. He tore another piece off and shoved it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly. Not bothering to wait until he swallowed completely, he shoved the whole thing in his mouth. In a bowl beside his plate, there was rice, that was something Yookwon recognized. Mother only let him have rice when she wanted to celebrate something. This rice however, had little black specks all over it, and small green circle things. He pulled the bowl closer; he used his fingers to scoop a little before he sniffed the bite, it smelt like rice and a sharp scent he never smelt before. Yookwon shoved it into his mouth, a little afraid the good smell was hiding a terrible taste. He hummed to himself when the warm rice hit his tongue. In another small bowl were white squares with some brown liquid there was those small circle green things. He picked up one of the squares; it was so soft but firm, and squishy, and didn’t fall apart when he picked it up. Yookwon was chewing, cheeks full as he shoved a piece of the white stuff into his mouth. It had a salty taste, and Yookwon made another noise and shoved another piece in his mouth. On his plate, there was some kind of meat, Yookwon knew it was meat because it smelled the same way his skin did when Mother wanted to really punish him. He couldn’t eat that, so he pushed it to the side and shoved more of the white stuff into his mouth. 

“Woah, slow down, swallo,’ or you’re gonna choke.” The words cut into Yookwon’s thoughts, and he froze. His eyes jerked up from his plate to Jiho, mouth completely full, cheeks stuffed to the max, he licked his lips. The other male was staring at him with wide eyes; his features shifted to a look of, well Yookwon wasn’t sure. His lips were pulled to one side; eyes half-closed because of his puffed cheeks. Yookwon struggled to chew slowly and swallow around the amount of food in his mouth. He looked back down at his plate and started to eat at a slower pace, making sure to chew and swallow before he shoved more food in his mouth. He didn’t want the others attention back on him, he was sure to hit him. 

After Yookwon ate some of the food on the plate, he heard Jiho stand up from his chair, the sound of the stool scraping across the floor loud in the quiet room. Yookwon dropped the piece of food in his hand and jerked backward away from the plate, expecting the worst. This was it, he hadn’t slowed down enough. Jiho was going to punish him. Jiho walked around to Yookwon’s side, the male picking up the silver sticks that had sat beside Yookwon’s plate. His body started to shake, fear slowly turning his stomach sour. Yookwon watched with wide eyes as the male placed them in his right hand and somehow made them clinked together at the smaller tips.

“Have ya used these before, Yukwon,” JIho spoke in a low voice. The male’s question cause Yookwon tod flinch again and drop his head. Yookwon has never even seen them before he watched Jiho eat with them. The male gave the barest of movement of his head from side to side. 

“No? T’ese are chopsticks, okay? t’is is how ya use them.” Jiho said as he flicked the sticks again. So, that was what they were called. Then he reached out to pick up a piece of meat off Yookwon’s plate, and then dropped it and flicked the chop-sticks again. Yookwon realized with a start that Jiho was moving closer. “Yookwon!” He heard someone yell as he hit the ground, a cry of pain burst from his lips. He scrambled away and tucked his lean body against a cabinet, as far away from Jiho as he could get. He heard chair’s being moved and the sound of feet as they hit the floor. 

A loud noise was buzzing in his ear, a panting loud noise. It took him a few seconds to realize it was him. The keening noise was him; he was crying and mumbling. At this point, he wasn’t even sure what he was saying; it was all just a jumbled mess — fear taking over his body. 

“Yookwon, it’s Yunho, it’s okay. You’re okay. You’re safe.” He could hear Yunho over his crying now. Yunho was safe; he’d keep him safe; he was okay. Yookwon’s wide eyes traveled all over Yunho’s body, taking in that Yunho was kneeling beside him, hands up in front of him, not quite reaching for him. 

“Yuh-Yunho...” He wailed as he threw himself at the elder. He was safe. Yunho would keep him safe. Tears were trailing down his face as he curled his body into Yunho’s embrace. He was okay. He was safe. He had to keep repeating those words in his head as he tried to calm his breathing and get control of himself. He could feel Yunho’s hand as is rubbed his back in small circles. The elder murmuring soft words. 

It took awhile for Yookwon to calm down, his breathing slowly leveling out and his tears were drying up. Yookwon slowly lifted his head from Yunho’s chest, and he looked around the room. Jaejoong was standing at the sink with his back to Yookwon, as he washed the dishes. He searched the place for the other male, and he gave a slight jolt when Jiho turned around and they made eye contact.

Jiho stopped in his tracks and Yookwon leaned away. He watched as Jiho lifted his hands to show that he had nothing in them as he spoke. "I'm not gonna hurt ya, Yukwon," The younger ducked his head, body trembling. He turned his head back to shove his face back into Yunho’s chest.

The elder sighed and patted Yookwon's head. "He won't hurt you. No one is going to hurt you ever again, Yookwon." Yunho wouldn't lie to him. That didn't mean Jiho or Jaejoong would do something when Yunho wasn't around. Father never hit him when Mother was around, when they were alone? That was a different story. Yookwon took a shuddering breath and leaned his body against Yunho.

"Tired?" The elder questioned him. 

"Mmm-hmm." Yookwon hummed his answer as his lids fell shut. He felt himself being lifted in Yunho's arms and carried across the house as he fell asleep. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The next few weeks went about the same as the first day Yookwon woke up in Yunho's house. Jaejoong would make a large breakfast, as Jaejoong called it. Yookwon would sit at the bar and eat about half his plate before he would fall asleep with his face in his plate. When he would wake up from that nap, that's what Jaejoong had called it, Yookwon would spend a few hours with Yunho as the man tried to teach him things; like the alphabet, or how to dress himself, and shower without screaming. Yookwon wasn't sure why he needed to know what an alphabet was or why Yunho had sighed loudly when he discovered that Yookwon didn't a single 'letter', as Yunho had called those weird marks. 

In the afternoon, Jaejoong would cook lunch and Jiho would show up. The first few days Yookwon would flinch and cry out whenever Jiho or Jaejoong would get too close. Only being able to calm down once Yunho wrapped his bulky body around him.

The others would try their best to stay a good distance away from Yookwon but sometimes they would forget. Like the time Jaejoong went to reach around him to grab a book from the table beside the couch, and Yookwon threw himself over the back of the couch and hit his head on another table. Or the time when Jiho and plopped down beside him instead of the other couch. Yookwon had flinched so hard he pulled a muscle in his back. 

Everyday for lunch Jiho would sit across from him, and say nothing. They would eat in silence. He wanted to ask the other why he kept coming to the house when he didn't live there, but he knew he'd be punished if he questioned the other. While he ate with his fingers, Jiho always used those chopsticks and a round, slightly curved flat object that Jiho had called a spoon. Jiho would demonstrate how to use chopsticks, never getting closer to Yookwon as he had done the first day. He didn’t like those things, they made his fingers hurt and it was hard. Jiho had laughed when Yookwon threw them back down with a pout. The other told him not to worry about using them right away, that it would take time to learn how to use them. Then the other Male had gingerly held out his spoon, fingers barely holding the end of it as he did. Yookwon had stared at it, waiting for the other to whack him. When he didn't, Yookwon took the object between his fingers and slipped it from Jiho's grasp. It was much easier to eat with the spoon then it had been to learn how to use chopsticks. Jiho had that weird lip pulled to one side and small eyes look when he ate without getting food everywhere. 

After lunch, Jaejoong would clean, Jiho would sit on the larger couch, and Yookwon would fall asleep on the smaller one. Yunho had said he would stop falling asleep after eating once he gained some weight. That his body isn't used to taking in so many calories, whatever those are, and would sleep to digest. When he would wake up, Jiho would be watching the box with moving pictures, they called it a 'television'. Yookwon had screamed the first time it had been turned on. The noise had been so loud and the moving people so captivating. Jiho had told Yookwon that some of the things on TV were fake, but some were real. It has been truly amazing to see the 'cartoon' that Jiho put on for him. There was one that Jiho had called ‘Bambi’ that made him cry, the poor deer! There was also one that had two sisters and one magic powers of ice and could freeze things. It was super scary at parts.

Yookwon spent most afternoons in the 'living room' watching 'movies' with Jiho. The elder would explain the different parts of each movie they watched. Jiho would talk his weird talk and Yookwon would silently listen. Occasionally Yunho would sit with Yookwon and he would flop his body across the elders lap. It was nice.

It wasn't something he was used to, this peace couldn't last. His father was going to come get him soon, he just knew it. It's been weeks since he was punished for something. Why weren't they punishing him when he made a mistake? He was being bad. Maybe they were waiting for him to see the error in his ways. He needed to apologize. He needed to ask for his punishment. Yookwon turned to Jaejoong who was folding laundry on the smaller couch, it was his nightly routine. 

He stood and with his head lowered, he knelt on the floor by Jaejoong's feet. Legs curled under him, palms crossed over and flat on the floor in front of him, forehead pressed to the back on his hands. 

"What are you doing, Kwonnie?" The elder has been calling him that for weeks. He wasn't sure why. That wasn't his whole name. Maybe he didn't deserve to be called his whole name, he was bad. 

"I'm sorry. I'll be better." Throat dry and cracked. 

"What?" The elder questioned. Yookwon couldn't see him through his closed eyes and flinched from the sharp tone. He deserved to be punished, he was bad. 

"I'll try to be better. I'm sorry. You can punish me now. I'll be a good boy." His voice barely above a whisper now. He was so scared, he didn't want to be hit, but he deserved it. He was a bad boy. 

"Oh, love, I'm not going to punish you. You did nothing wrong." He heard the man say as the sound of his chair moving filled the room. "Yookwon, can you please sit up?" He flinch and curled his body. He was asking for a punishment, he was going to get it, even when the other said he wasn't going to. Yookwon slowly sat up , his eyes still on the floor. Jaejoong's legs were folded in front of him, a few feet away, but still close enough to reach out.

"Look at me, Yookwon," His eyes slowly lifted from the floor to Jaejoong's shoulder and no higher. Mother didn't like being looked in the eye. "My eyes Yookwon, look me in the eyes so you know I'm telling you something truthfully." He took a shuddering breath, and chanced a look up. Jaejoong looked like he was going to burst out in tears, eyes misty. Yet there was no malice in them. No hatred in them. He knew what that looked like. This emotion swirling in Jaejoong's eyes was unknown to him. He didn't know how to handle this. 

"Yookwon, you…" The man paused and he took a deep breath, his hands coking up to rub his eyes, tears escaping. 

"Yookwon, you don't need to be punished. You are not doing anything wrong. You haven't been." Jaejoong paused and took another deep breath before continuing. "Yunho and I, we are so sorry we couldn't come get you sooner. We are so sorry that you had to grow up with them. No one will ever hit you again. Kwonnie. You are safe now. They don't know where live, we changed out number and they don't know it. They won't be able to find you. Okay, Kwonnie? You never have to go back to them. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" 

Yookwon's head cocked to the side as Jaejoong spoke, his words shocking. They couldn't take him away from Yunho? He was safe? Yookwon burst out in tears, he didn't understand the feeling that bubbled up inside of him. It was light and airy. A stiffness to his muscles that he didn't realise were tense loosened. 

"I promise that we'll take care of you. I promise that no one will ever hurt you again." Jaejoong said softly. 

With a shuddering breath he threw himself into Jaejoong's lap and cried. The sour feeling of fear that he had for Jaejoong wasn't gone, but with the others promise, it was lessened. After crying himself to sleep in Jaejoong's lap, he must have carried Yookwon to bed. An actual bed, the same he first woke up in. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Yookwon had woke up a few mornings later sniffing at the blankets. Something was missing. A scent that had been on his blankets that was no longer there. His kept sniffing at the blankets and pulled the second pillow closer and sniffed. It had a lingering musky scent that was missing on the blankets. Yookwon carried his pillow with him to find Jaejoong. He held out the pillow to the other when he found him in the kitchen. He pointed at the pillow and sniffed, then held it to the others nose. 

"Huh? Oh, does it stink? Should I wash it?" Jaejoong had questioned as he sat down his spatula, he learned that name yesterday. 

Yookwon shook his head and hugged it again, then held it out for Jaejoong to smell again. Not sure how to communicate his question. Jaejoong leaned over a little and sniffed the pillow. A weird look on his face, wide eyes and his lips in a circle. 

" Oh, I smell it. Are you wondering what the smell is?" When Yookwon nodded his head, hugged the pillow and stepped back from the other, Jaejoong smiled. 

"It okay. I'll refresh the smell, okay?" When Yookwon nodded again and left the room, he heard the elder make a call. 

Later that day when Jiho showed up for lunch, Jaejoong pulled him to the side of the kitchen and was whispering. Yookwon was sure he was in trouble again. Instead of being punished by Jiho, the other glanced over at Yookwon, then nodded at Jaejoong.

After they ate, Yookwon still using a spoon because the chopsticks didn't want to work for him, Jiho had put a movie on for Yookwon the disappeared for the entire thing. He wasn't sure where the elder had gone to. 

That night when he crawled into his bed, the musky, spicy scent was on the blankets again. This time, the smell was stronger and on both pillows. He was glad that Jaejoong had figured out what the smell was and put it back into his blankets.


	6. Fear and Consequences

Jiho didn't realize that sending so much time at Yunho's place would end up becoming part of his routine. The two of them had never been particularly close. Yunho was his boss, and Jiho followed his orders. Hanging around him had been weird at first, and then he realized that Yunho only spent a few hours with Yookwon then would disappear into his office for the rest of the time Jiho was there. So the two of them weren't exactly hanging out. He did spend a few minutes a day with Jaejoong, listening to the elder tell him about random things he and Yookwon did the day before. It was random things like 'you should have seen it, Jiho, he had the biggest glob of whip cream on his nose.' or 'he didn't eat very much yesterday, do you think I shouldn't make those foods again?' 

He wasn't sure why Jaejoong was constantly asking Jiho's input on what he should buy or what kinds of food should he make for Yookwon. How the hell was he supposed to know what the other liked? Jiho also wasn't even sure why he was still going to the house when clearly, he needed to stop. He felt terrible that every time he would walk into the room, Yookwon would flinch or cry out. He felt awful that the man had been through so much terror at such a young age.

Jiho felt an ache in his heart whenever he wanted to talk non-stop to fill the silence that would be created while they were eating. He didn't, though. Yookwon seemed to be okay with him as long as Jiho stayed away and didn't make any sudden movement towards him, or looked directly at him, or spoke too loudly, or show any emotion other than a calm attitude. 

The male still felt terrible for causing Yookwon to have a panic attack the first day he had been at Yunho's house. He wasn't sure what he should do, or why he kept going to the house, or why he felt terrible for Yookwon. He didn't even know him! Jiho didn't even check on Jaehyo or Minhyuk as much as he has Yookwon. The duo were his only friends. He didn't count Park Kyung any more. Not since the man disappeared on him one night and hasn't spoken to him since then. 

The weeks past quickly 

Jiho could tell something was wrong when one day, Jaejoong had called him early in the morning and asked him to not shower before coming over. That was damn weird. Why shouldn't he shower? Jae hated it when Jiho would come to his house smelling like pot, sweat, and blood. Jaejoong still hadn't explained all the weird shit he's seen since meeting Yookwon. Jiho was waiting as patiently as he could. 

When he arrived at the house, Jae had pulled him to the side and had the oddest request. 'just shut up and listen, after you eat, go take a nap in Yookwon's bed. Jiho, don't question it just do it...' Why the hell should he do that? Jaejoong was too fucking weird. He ended up doing it anyway. The nap had been really nice; Yookwon's bed was so much softer than his own. 

The next few days after that, Jiho noticed that Yookwon carried his pillow around everywhere he went. The male snuggled with it on the couch carried it back and forth across the house and every few minutes, he would tuck his face into the pillow and sigh deeply. It was fucking adorable. After that, Jaejoong asked for Jiho to nap in the bed once a week, always the same day that Jae washed the youngers sheets.

Jiho continued to play children's movies for Yookwon to watch. He was showing the younger the world through children's movies. Nothing too scary though, because the last time he tried to play something that had an evil octopus villain, Yookwon ended up screaming and crying. Yunho had to come out of his office to calm the other down. 

After that, Jiho decided to skip any movies or shows that had copious amounts of water. Except for Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. He couldn't skip that one. Jiho then played every movie by Studio Ghibli, Yookwon seemed to like those better than the Disney movies. 

It was a month later that Jae finally pulled him to the side after lunch to finally tell him what the hell was going on. Took him long enough. 

He was sitting in Yunho and Jaejoong's bedroom. A large spacious room decorated like the rest of the house, soft gray tones, white wood furniture, there was a vanity off to one side covered in flowers and makeup. Except the bed had way too many pillows, a pink afghan laying across the end of it. There were also pink bunny slippers by the bed. When he looked closer to the pictures on the walls or random knicknacks around the room, he noticed a lot of them were soft pink colors or flowers. What the hell, Yunho lets him decorate their bedroom with flowers? 

Jiho was staring at the slippers from his spot on the bed as he waited for the pacing Jaejoong to say something. 

"Do you remember how I told you I met Yunho when we were both naked?" Jaejoong asked.

"Yuh, as gross as t'at is to picture." Jiho's nose scrunched in disgust. He didn't want to picture the elder naked. As hot as Jae was, he was like an uncle. You don't think of family naked. 

Jae waved a hand at him as he continued to pace. "Anyways, so there is more to it than that. I... I wasn't always like I am now. Yunho saved my life." Jaejoong paused again then let out a soft sigh. "Let me just start from the beginning. I was born to two parents that didn't want offspring. They were terrible people, drank a lot, smoked too much and beat me every chance they had. My parents, those people... they tried to kill me when I was barely old enough to be out of diapers." Jae turned towards him and lifted his shirt up to reveal a large scar across his chest. It was jagged, faded and right over his heart. 

"I'm not... how can I say this. I'm not normal." Jae dropped his shirt and moved to sit beside Jiho. "After they failed to kill me, the police placed me in another home. The new home was better, but not by much. I ran away at ten." Jae visibly shook as he spoke, his face shrouded in pain. "I was living on the streets until I was about fourteen or was it fifteen? I'm not actually sure how old I am exactly. Anyways, I was on the street when I got picked up by traffickers." Jae visibly paled as he spoke. Jiho has never seen Jaejoong afraid of anything. Stark fear shrouded Jae's eyes. 

He didn't speak for a few minutes, lost in his own memories. "I can't remember how long they had me before my... my cage was opened and in walked Yunho. It... wasn't the best meeting but he ending up being part of a group of people who were trying to stop the trade." Jae rubbed his face and turned towards Jiho. 

"I'm telling you this because of why they picked me up. When I said I was normal, I meant I'm not completely human."

Jiho cocked his head in confusion. "What do yah mean?" 

"I'm what is called a shifter, in particular, a cat shifter. I am part human, part house cat. I can change my form. However, you know that tea I drink?" When he nodded, eyes wide, an argument on his lips. "It helps suppress my more basic instincts. It also doesn't let me shift completely, but I still can sorta halfway shift. I can see from your face that you don't believe me. So just sit there for a minute and watch." 

Jiho watched with wide eyes and Jaejoong stood and moved a few feet away. The elder stood stock still before he shook his head. Then... a ripple went over Jae's downturned face, a shudder from head to feet before something fucking grew from the top of his head. Jae's hair parted to reveal two small bumps that grew out into triangle-shaped cones that were covered in fur the same color as his hair. 

Jiho stood as he yelled; "What tah fuck are those!?" 

"Calm down, Jiho! You didn't freak out when I said I was a shifter. Don't freak out now!" Jaejoong yelled back at him, hands twisted into fist at his side. 

"What tah fuck!" Jiho yelled again. 

"Stop yelling! We're not ready to talk to Yookwon about this." Jae's fucking big floppy ears were tucked backward. Like a goddamn cat would do if it was pissed off. Something dark flickered over the older male's shoulder. 

"Is t'at a fuckin' tail?!" Jiho's breathing grew ragged.

"Oh gosh. Jiho. Breath deep now." Jiho took a shaky breath as Jae stepped closer. He held his hand up to stop him. 

"Please, just stay there for now..." Jiho felt terrible as Jae's face fell. He couldn't help it though, He just wasn't ready for the other to touch him yet. It was one thing to stand a few feet away from him. It was another thing entirely to actually let him touch him. Not yet, he wasn't ready for that yet. 

"I knew we shouldn't have told you. Yunho was wrong... oh no, breath Jiho. You're going to faint. Sit down, head between your knees..." 

Jiho flopped on the bed, when had he stood up? Letting his head fall low and taking ragged inhales as he did. He felt a hand on his back, running soothing circles. He flinched. This was Jaejoong, what they hell was wrong with him. Jiho wasn't actually afraid of Jaejoong. It let himself get his breathing under control before he looked at Jaejoong again. 

It wasn't just big 'ole cat ears on his head, oh no, his human ears were gone too, and his eyes were no longer brown with circular pupils. Now they were ice blue, with a vertical slit that was blown wide. Jae's cheeks looked sharper, his lips looked even redder and his hands, which were clutched in his lap, looked to have sharper nails then Jae usually had. Not to mention the fucking tail laying on the bed beside him. 

"Yah have a tail." Was all Jiho could say. 

"Yup."

"Yah have ears." 

"Yup." 

"T'is is unbelievable. I've finally gone fuckin crazy." Jae pat his head. 

"No, Jiho, you haven't. This is a worldwide secret. There are more supernatural creatures roaming the earth then you would think. For instance, there are at least three other shifters that live two streets over. We don't just tell anyone. Humans, they do vile things to anything they do not understand. Yunho and I are trusting you." Jae said as he shook his head. 

"Then why are yah tellin' me?" Jiho's hands were messing with the many bracelets on his right wrist. A movement he only did when he was extremely nervous. 

"You know why." When Jiho looked back up at that, Jae's ears were gone. Thank fucking heavens. 

"I don't know." But he knew. Yookwon. 

"Yookwon is like me. He just doesn't know it. We believe there something is wrong with him." 

Jiho scuffed. "Yea. No shit, Jaejoong." 

Jae rolled his eyes, bumping him with his shoulder. "No, not all of that. No, he doesn't know what he is and has never shifted. I can't smell what he is either. It's the weirdest thing." 

"What do yah mean smell?" 

Jae sighed then pointed at his nose. "Shifter, remember? Better senses. Like I can smell what kind of pot you smoked before showering, brushing your teeth and coming over. I can also smell that you didn't wash your dick well enough because I can still smell the dude you slept with last night. Good job using protection." Jiho leaned away from Jaejoong. 

"What tah fuck." 

"What? Get better soap. Anyways. Yunho and I aren't sure what kind of shifter Yookwon is. Yunho said his father never shifted or had a smell either, but he wasn't sure about Yookwon's mother. So we're not sure what Yookwon is or if he will shift at all. I tried looking into it, and couldn't find anything useful. Yunho thinks it's because of how he's been kept since he was young." Jae explained. 

"Oh. Then what happens now?" Jiho questioned, and what did he have to do with it. 

"Well, we're not sure. I noticed that... um.. your smell... don't make that face at me. Your smell helps keep him calm. Maybe it's because you were in the bed with him the first night he was free. Or your smell is something he likes but doesn't know it. It's why I asked you to sleep in his bed." Jaejoong looked away towards his own hands. 

Jiho stood and started to pace. All the weird shit was making sense. It did make sense when you explained it away by them being fucking shifters. The fact that Yookwon healed his completely shredded back in one night. Why Jaejoong complains often about how he smells. How much the other cat loves Jaejoong but hates Yunho. Speaking of which, Jaejoong didn't tell him what Yunho was. 

"What's Yunho?"

Jaejoong glanced up at him. "Black panther." 

Jiho nodded his head, "That makes sense." What the fuck. How the hell did it make sense? It didn't make sense at all. 

His thoughts were interrupted as Jae spoke again. "Its also why I asked you to keep eating with him. That one day you didn't come over, Yookwon didn't eat, he just stared at the seat you usually sit in. I don't think he even noticed how much time passed before he stood and walked away." Jaejoong said offhandedly like Yookwon not wanting wasn't a huge fucking deal. The male couldn't miss a single meal, he was too skinny. 

"What?" Jiho whipped around to stare at the elder. 

"It's okay, Jiho, I made him a smoothie that afternoon full of vitamins and minerals to make up for missing a few meals."

Jiho sat back on the bed. Not sure why he was so worried about the other male. 

"So what is it yah want me to do?" He questioned the elder. 

"We want you to... how can I say this without it seeming like we're trying to get you to do something you would be uncomfortable with doing." Jae paused. 

"Just spit it out, Jaejoong." Jiho cut in. 

"So impatient. We want you to keep doing what you are doing... but push Yookwon more." 

"What?" Jiho yelled. Push Yookwon more? He already made the other cry on a daily basis. 

"Don't look like that, he doesn't cry as much as he used to, and since you try not to look in his direction, you didn't notice that he doesn't flinch when you walk into a room anymore. Or when you get too close. He also leans towards you when your eating. Doesn't flinch when you reach for something on the table. He also carries around your pillow." 

"What?"

"The pillow he carries around, he leaves it in the room on wash day Jiho you haven't noticed? He didn't sleep on it either, only you do."

"What?" Jiho was a damn parrot. 

"Damn it Jiho. Just... we want Yookwon to shift. We think you're the key to that. Just go... do something." Jae sounded exasperated as he stood and held the door open for Jiho to leave. He knew when he was excused. 

"Fine, I'll figure sommen out." 

Jiho didn't figure something out. He had no idea what to do with everything that Jaejoong had told him. How the hell was he supposed to help Yookwon do anything? Jiho wasn't a good person. He didn't do flowers or hugs. He didn't do nice. He killed people for a living, smoked way too much pot, beat the shit out of people who pissed him off and fucked his way through Seoul. How the hell was he supposed to help a person who was scared of their own shadow? How the hell was he supposed to help something that was a shifter? He had no idea how to help Yookwon. All he knew how to do was fuck, kill or hurt. 

He just... didn't know what to do. So he threw everything Jaejoong told him into a box labeled 'do not touch', shoved it to the back of his mind and continued on with his life. If there was one thing Jiho knew how to do was ignore the shit that he didn't understand. 

Nothing Jaejoong and he talked about was brought up again between the two of them.

Until one day a few weeks later, Jiho was sitting on the couch in his usual spot when Yookwon walked by and paused behind him. He heard the younger male a noise, but he ignored it. Yookwon did weird shit all the time now. They were watching One Punch Man, something he noticed the other didn't like at all. Too much violence, he had said. So the younger had gotten up to fetch himself a snack from the kitchen. By this point, Yookwon was speaking to him more. It was usually clipped one or two-word questions or answers when Jiho talked to him.

He heard another noise, Jiho looked over his shoulder at the male. 

"Do you smell that?" Yookwon's voice was soft as he spoke, barely above a whisper. 

"Smell what?" Jiho questioned as he sat up completely on his knees to lean over the back of the couch to sniff out whatever it is Yookwon was smelling. There was nothing odd to smell. Jiho made sure not to leave any food lying around, Jaejoong hated it when he left the living room a mess. That stupid cat also ate shit it wasn't supposed to. 

"It smells... it smells... like..." Yookwon trailed off as he sniffed the air as he slowly spun around, walking back towards the kitchen pausing and then looked back at Jiho. "You do not smell it?" 

"No? It doesn't smell like anythin'?" He questioned as he leaned over the back, freezing as Yookwon leaned towards him.

Jiho clutched at the soft leather under his fingers as the younger leaned into his neck. Warm breath ghosting over his skin as Yookwon sniffed him. Not daring to move a single inch. Jiho knew that if he moved, he could set off Yookwon's panic attack. 

"That smell, it is you." Yookwon leaned back with large wide eyes. Shock plain to see. 

Jiho didn't move as Yookwon leaned back towards him to take a deeper breath. 

"You smell like... the bed always smells like that..." Yookwon trailed off, tilting his head question. 

"I...uh... Jaejoong told me... I... uh... sleep in your bed... sometimes..." Jiho mumbled out. 

"Oh..." Yookwon trailed off. 

The two of them stared at one another. Jiho trying his hardest not to move, while Yookwon's eyes flickered over his face, hair and then down Jiho's body. The older male has taken to wearing loose cotton shirts and loose sweatpants when he came over. He glanced down at himself, his shirt was clean. The male glanced back up to Yookwon, who had on a pink sweater over a white shirt and those white linen pants. Jaejoong must have gotten him a few more pairs because Yookwon was often wearing them. If he was being honest, he found Yookwon so incredibly attractive. He was small, compact, with soft features and the cutest damn frown. Damn, he couldn't find the other attractive, not when he was going through too much shit on his own. 

Jiho didn't know what to say to break the staring contest they were having, so he jammed a thumb over his shoulder and asked: "Wanna watch 'Howls Moving Castle?" 

Yookwon continued to stare at him, then slowly nodded his head. Jiho laid back down and tried really hard to ignore the feeling that something just changed for Yookwon. The male and actually gotten close to Jiho on his own, and spoke more than a few words to him. Even after three months of being around the other, Yookwon has never gotten that close. 

Halfway through the movie, Jiho's eyes caught movement. He held completely still as Yookwon stood from his spot, hands clutching his pillow and throw as he shuffled to the larger couch. Yookwon sat on the floor beside the couch, back against it. Still far away from Jiho but apparently close enough to smell him, because Yookwon took a deep breath and appeared to relax. 

What the fuck. 

They still didn't talk much, Yookwon would point at something on the screen he didn't know the name off, and Jiho would tell him. Sometimes, instead of movies, Jiho would put documentaries on and watch in amusement as Yookwon discovered things he has grown up without knowing. 

Yookwon sat like that for a few days before Jiho pointed out how bad it was for his back. Yookwon had replied with a soft 'it's much better than where I was before'. What was Jiho supposed to say to that? Instead, he had sat up, pointed to the other end of the couch and gave a short 'Sit'.

Yookwon had frozen.

What the fuck did he just do? He was a damn idiot. 

Yookwon's body completely immobile until he turned his head towards Jiho, his next question breaking Jiho's heart. 

"You... you will not punish me? If I do not sit there... you will not hit me?" This was the longest sentence the younger has ever said to him, and the question was one of the most heart wrenching that Jiho has heard. Jiho beat people for a living, yet he didn't think he could have hurt a single hair on the male's head. 

"No, Yookwon." He shook his head and offered the other a soft smile. "I told ya before, I won't eva raise a hand to ya. Yah can sit there, or not. I'm not gonna punish you. The choice is yours." Jiho's face must have said more than his words because Yookwon stared at him for a solid minute before he shakily stood and sat on the couch. Yookwons' body pushed so far into the arm of the couch he might as well have been sitting on it. The younger still shaking for a few minutes. Jiho had sat up and leaned against the armrest, propping his head on his hand. He tried his hardest not to move until Howl's Moving Castle was over and Yookwon left the room in a rush. 

The next day, after eating lunch, Yookwon sat in the same spot. Body as taught as a bowstring. Jaejoong came into the living room once that day and paused. A soft smiled lifted years from his features as he handed Yoowkon a bowl of freshly cut fruit. When Yookwon looked away, Jaejoong shot him a smile. 

Everything went as it had before, lunch with Yookwon, dinner by himself if he ate dinner. Yookwon was speaking more. Still hadn't smiled or laughed when watching the movies, he would only stare at the tv until something sad or surprising happened then he would cry. Jiho noticed that when they would watch movies, as long as he didn't look over at Yookwon directly, the other would sit calmly and relaxed. As relaxed as a person can be with their legs drawn up to the chest, chin resting on his knees, a pillow between arms and shins. 

Jiho wasn't sure what was different about this particular Saturday a month later, but when he arrived at Yunho's house, the owner was sitting at the bar next to Yookwon, and the younger was smiling at him.

Jiho paused at the door.

He has never seen the younger smile and it was as if a ray of sunshine was shining through a storm of rain clouds. It was damn radiant or some shit like that. The night before Jiho came to the realization that he has gone out to drink or party with anyone since Jaejoong pointed out that he could smell it on him. He also hasn't been smoking as much or going out on any jobs for Yunho as much as he used to. It was weird as shit, and now he walks in on Yookwon fucking smiling. 

Yookwon glanced over and him as he entered and stood, walking over to the taller. "Jiho! Yunho said he is going to take me to a store." His voice was as soft as ever.

Jiho glanced up at Yunho to see the elder nodding slowly. "Did he? Are ya excited?" This would be the first time in almost six months that Yookwon would leave the house. They had tried to go on a walk around the neighborhood the month before. It ended up with Yookwon a bawling mess in the doorway. They didn't want to push too fast. Since they still didn't know what happened to him in his parent's care. At least Yookwon would shower now without Yunho shoving him into the bathtub and more than every few days. 

Jiho knew that the younger was making progress but he didn't want this to be a setback. 

"Yes, Yunho said the store was a pet store and it is not busy at this time and I should be okay and there will be puppies." Jiho smiled at the youngers' excited tone. Something he hasn't heard from the younger.

"T'ats great, Yookwon. I'm sure y'all have fun." Then he did something that shocked them all. 

He patted Yookwon on the head. Two soft touches on the top of his head. 

Jiho froze. 

Yunho froze. 

Jaejoong gasped. 

Yookwon fucking beamed at him. 

A huge smile had pulled over Yookwon's face and he fucking leaned towards Jiho's frozen hand, running his head against him before he leaned back and asked; "Will you come with us?" 

"What?" Jiho shook his head, dropping his hand to his side. Pretending that Yookwon hadn't just blown their minds with his actions. 

"Jiho, I asked if you will come with us?" Yookwon repeated, his voice held so much more life in it the there had been a few weeks ago. This was like talking to a different person. 

Jiho looked up at Yunho and then glanced at Jaejoong, the later nodding his head encouraging him to say yes. He trailed his eyes back towards Yunho who had a small smile on his lips, and he nodded too. When he looked at Yookwon, Jiho nodded his head at Yookwon. 

"Yah, I can come." He finally answered. 

"After lunch, okay?" Yookwon said as he turned and walked back towards the bar and took his seat. 

Jiho was still frozen in his spot by the entrance.

What just happened?

Yookwon asked him a direct question. 

Yookwon looked him in the eye when he asked Jiho a direct question. 

Yookwon smiled at him. At him. 

Yookwon let him touch him... and then leaned into him. 

Jaejoong moved to walk past him, pausing to say: "Told you this would happen." 

What? When did he say that Yookwon would want to touch him? Oh right. Back when Jae decided to tell Jiho what he was and traumatize him while he was at it. Jiho had accepted what the other said and didn't think about it again.

Now that was biting him in the ass. Because Jiho found the other male so incredibly attractive. In the last six months, Yookwon has gained almost fifteen pounds, he was no longer skin and bones. His face had rounded out into an adorable roundness. The younger often wore sweaters over long sleeve shirts, and pants, so he wasn't sure how Yookwon was filling out weight-wise; but from the other's wrist and forearms when he pulls his sleeves up, Jiho could guess that Jaejoong must have him doing some kind of yoga because he was all sinewy muscle. 

Jiho had a soft spot for cute people, especially when they were male.

The trip to the store ended up being nothing like Jiho had been expecting. For one, he was expecting Yookwon to freak out as soon as they were outside the front door. But he didn't. Then he was expecting Yookwon to freak out when they sat in the backseat of Yunho's Hummer. This was the closest they have been, Yookwon still sitting on the far end of the couch from him. But he didn't. Jiho expected Yookwon to have a panic attack when he stepped out of the car and into the noisy street. People bustling by, car horns blaring and doors slamming. Yet, he didn't freak out. Nope. Once they were out of the car, Yookwon stared at everything in wonder. Jiho stood by the back of the Hummer as Yookwon stood beside it. He watched in apprehension as Yookwon spun in circles to try and look at everything around him. 

Jiho keeps forgetting that Yookwon hasn't been out of the house in six months and no one knew what happened to him before they took him away from his father. He must have been in a place where he wasn't able to see the outside world. He glanced over to Jaejoong, was being held by Yunho. The taller had a hand on Jaejoong's cheek, he noticed Jae had small tears in his eyes. He could see that Yunho was whispering something to the other, he couldn't hear what was being said but it must have been funny because Jaejoong laughed as he rubbed at his eyes. Then Jiho realized this was the first time he has seen the elder outside. Was it hard for Jaejoong to leave the house too? He glanced back over at Yookwon to discover the younger had taken a few steps away from them and was looking in on the window. 

The wonder didn't leave Yookwon's eyes until they were at the doors about to enter when someone bumped into Yookwon. The other let out a small whimper, body freezing in the doorway. All four of them froze, not knowing what to do. They never made it this far before. Yunho and Jaejoong were closer to the male, but neither of them moved. Yookwon turned to look over his shoulder, eyes darting o Yunho then Jaejoong before landing on Jiho, pure undiluted fear was in his eyes. 

Jiho moved without thinking, pushing past the duo. He placed his hands on Yookwon's shoulders gently and turned the other around. Yookwon let out a whimper as Jiho wrapped his arms around the smaller male and tucked him against his chest. Yookwon was crying now, big fat tears that streamed down his face to soak Jiho's hoodie. Jiho patted the shifter on the head ever so gently and then trailed his hands to either side of Yookwons face to tilt it towards his own. Trying his hardest to get the younger to look him in the eyes.

"Breath, Yookwon. Take a deep breath. Nice an' slow." He paused to take a deep breath to demonstrate when the others breathing didn't change.

"Come on now, Yookwon, yah are safe. No one is gonna hurt yah." Jiho's voice was pitched low, breathing deeply and slowly to try and calm the other down with his body.

Jiho felt Yookwon's hands grip his sides, sharp fingers digging into his sides. Yookwon tried to push him away, to try and flee. If Yookwon ran now, they might not be able to find him. In their neighborhood, it would have been fine. They would have been able to find him. Here though? Where it was busy? It couldn't happen. Jiho wrapped one arm around the shifter and tucked him against his neck. 

"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt yah, Yookwon. Breath for me now." Jiho's voice was low as he murmured into Yookwon's ear. 

Jaejoong had said his scent helped keep Yookwon calm, no time like the present to test that theory. 

"Breath wit' me, Yookwon. Nice and slow." He took another deep breath, this time learning his head down and letting his breath out onto the side of the crier's face. 

Suddenly, Yookwon's entire body sagged against him. The hands that had been pushing him away were now tightly holding on. It happened so quick that Jiho almost fell with him. Jiho let out a sigh of relief and wrapped Yookwon tighter into his embrace. Feeling the other's ragged breathing against his neck, chest huffing. The crying didn't stop though, and all he could do was hold the other until he calmed down. 

Jiho felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced over to see Yunho motioning for them to move out of the way, there was quite a crowd waiting to go into the store. Some were looking at Jiho like a bug they wanted to squish under their boot, others like he was some kind of hero. He wasnt a hero, what was wrong with people? 

Jiho took a small step back to see if Yookwon would walk, the other clutched tighter to him and sobbed harder. He let out a breath and just pulled the crying mess with him to the wall, leaning his back against it. The only thing could do now was wait for Yookwon to calm down. 

They ended up sitting on the ground outside of the pet store as Yookwon's cries intensified and the finally died down. Jiho was rubbing small circles on the others back as he fell asleep curled up in his lap. He sighed as he pushed a few strands of red hair from Yookwon's forehead, the other head, and upper body draped across his lap, legs curled against his own. 

"Jiho," his name was called softly from beside him. 

"Hmm?" 

"We should go home, you've been sitting on the floor for an hour."

"Huh?" 

"You both been sitting here an hour, let's take him home." Yunho said from his squat beside the duo. Grocery bags beside him, had the elder gone inside to shop? When had he done that? Had they really been there an hour? 

Jiho looked around him, the sun was a bit lower in the sky and it was colder then it had been. It was almost winter and there was a chill in the air. Had he really been staring at Yookwon's sleeping face for so long? 

"Come on, Jiho, I'll carry him." Yunho moved to pick the sleeping male up, tucking his hands under legs, pausing when Jiho grunted in pain. Yookwons' fingers tightened their hold on Jiho's waist and thighs. 

"Ouch, his nails are damn sharp," Jiho said as he ran a soothing hand down Yookwon's arm, fingers immediately loosening. Yunho tried to pick Yookwon up again, only to have the same results. Yookwon was clinging to Jiho, a frown forming on his sleeping face.

"I'm not sure he's going to let you take him away from Jiho, Yunho, at least not consciously. You remember how I was back then." Jaejoong said from his spot beside Yunho, a hand on the elder's shoulder. 

"I remember, smelling me was the only thing that could calm you down." Yunho sighed out.

Jiho looked at them both with a question in his eyes. Jaejoong pointed at his eyes. "These lie," Finger moving to his nose. "This never lies, it's almost impossible to change the way something smells. Even washing with soap or perfumes can't change the base smells." Yeah, that makes sense. He nodded his head and shifted his legs little. 

He really did need to get up though, his legs were numb. The male sighed out again before leaning over to mumble softly in Yookwons ear. 

"Yookwon, yah gotta wake up. Yookwon.." he gently shook the sleeping figure, who let out a small huff before his eyes opened. Damn, he was a light sleeper. Yookwon's eyes locked into Jiho's own, the fear was gone and something else replaced the fear completely. Jiho wasnt sure what it was, no one had ever looked at him like that before. It was soft and weird, it made him feel weird. 

"Let's go home," Jiho said as he motioned for Yookwon to sit up, the younger moving slowly, eyes glancing around. Yookwon's eyes tracking everything that moved around him. From the person walking across the street to a bird that swooped low above them. 

"Yookwon, let's go," Yunho said as he patted the younger on the head. Yookwon only looked at Jiho as the elder stood and stretched. Damn, his back hurt. He glanced down at Yookwon to see him still sitting until he noticed that Jiho was looking at him and quickly stood. 

Once they were standing, Jiho turned towards the parking lot and was suddenly stopped. He looked over his shoulder to the thin fingers that held on to the back of his hoodie. Yookwon had the hem tightly fisted, a frown on his lips.

"What's wrong?" 

Instead of speaking, Yookwon surprised them all again by stepping up beside Jiho and hugging his body to Jiho's left arm, pressing his face against the male. Jiho looked down at Yookwon to see the youngers features relaxed as he breathed in Jiho's scent. Jaejoong had been completely right about his scent and the way Yookwon would react to him now. 

The walk was awkward as hell, but they made it back to the car in one piece, with no tears either. Once he sat down through, he had a lap full of Yookwon's upper body. Jiho let out a soft sigh and placed a gentle hand onto his back, the other playing with Yookwon's red hair.

Jaejoong smiled softly at him, "You're smiling Jiho." 

"Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter.  
thoughts? let me know.  
also: the definition of consequence: a result or effect of an action or condition.


	7. Longing

WAKE UP! 

Yookwon eyes shot open, panting as he lay there trying to recall the dream he was having. It hadn't been a good one, he thinks. He was unable to remember what he was dreaming about. He has known all his life, the images that play in his head at night were not real. That they were fake, they always felt so real to him, though. They were still trying fooling him into believing that he couldn't have a day without pain. He never thought, not for one moment, that he would wake up to a life better than his fantasies. 

The male rolled over and pushed his face deeper into the pillow — the musky scent of Jiho helping steady his racing heart. 

It was Tuesday, he thinks, a day Jiho didn't usually come to the house until very late in the day. The ash-blond had been reading a book to him and also started to show him fewer children's movies the week before. The book was sitting on Yookwon's nightstand. He thinks it's called The Little Prince, but he wasn't entirely sure because he couldn't read the title. That was okay though, Yunho said it would take him a while to learn the entire Hangul alphabet and to be able to break down words to understand them. 

Yookwon rolled over and sighed again; his stomach made a weird rolling, rumbling sound. He was hungry. That was a new feeling he has had to get used to in the last few months. Regularly eating was changing him so much. He could no longer feel his knee bones rubbing against each other when he sat, and now his stomach made those weird noises in the morning.

It was hard to eat as much as Jaejoong always made, but he was trying.

It was just too much. 

A soft knock at the door brought him to the hear and now. He heard Jaejoong's soft muffled voice call out a 'good morning' as the door swung open to reveal the male holding a stack of papers in his hand, and a pen was resting between his teeth. 

"Hey Yookwon, we just got some information from the register's office, finally, come on out for breakfast and well talk about what all these papers are. Oh, and Jiho texted, he said he's not coming over today and for you to try and finish that documentary you two were watching yesterday. Okay?" Jaejoong paused as he finally looked up from the papers to Yookwons form on the bed; Yookwon met his eyes and nodded. 

"Okay, Jaejoong," Yookwon said as he rolled out of bed. He spent a few minutes putting the bed back in order. The way Jaejoong had shown him. He had been told he didn't have to fix the bed if he didn't want to. But he had a bed he could fix. For the first time ever. So he fixed it every morning and after he would nap.

After fixing the bed, Yookwon left the room and padded towards the bathroom. This room was another he had taken a while to get used to. The shower was still a vile and evil place, and he only stepped into that when he was very stinky. He did like the sink, though; it was pretty with glass sink and silver taps.

He also loved the thing you use to clean your teeth, what was that called again... oh a toothbrush! He loved the toothbrush. He brushed his teeth now, scrubbing every tooth and then flossing. He really liked flossing. 

Once he was done with his teeth, he used the toilet then left the bathroom after washing his hands. He did not like the sound the toilet made. 

Yookwon followed the sound of Yunho and Jaejoong's voice to the kitchen. This was a room that Yookwon really liked, he could eat whenever he wanted. A concept he didn't understand all those months ago.

Now, he moved to lean against Yunho's side, the taller presence still comforting for him as it has always been. 

"Good morning, Yookwonnie. Did Jaejoong tell you about the papers we got?" 

Yookwon glanced at the papers, tiny printing, and a whole lot of words he did not know. "He said you got something from a reggis... register office, and it had something to do with me?" His voice was soft, unsure. 

Yunho patted him on the head, and Yookwon leaned his head against his shoulder. 

"Yup, so the register's office is where you go to register family members, adoptions, births, deaths, things like that. There are tons of other offices that you got through too, but the mail that comes back is usually from them. When we first brought you home, I submitted a few documents to try and give you, honestly, a life. Your father never registered you at birth. Technically, Yookwon, you're not a citizen of Korea." Yunho paused as he frowned down at the papers. Then a small smile played on his lips as Jaejoong reached over to squeeze his hand. 

"Because of that, it made this process easier. See this paper?" Yunho held up a paper that was completely filled and had a large red stamp at the bottom.

"This is your new birth certificate. Look here." Yunho pointed to a line at the top, Yookwon didn't understand any of the letters written. But one word stuck out. It was one word that Yunho had taught him first, and Yookwon gasped.

It was his name.

He could read his name!

But it was funny... 

"J-ju-n-g Yookwon?" He questioned. His father was Kim, so he should be a Kim? 

"Yup, Jung Yookwon, this has you listed as my little brother. Your father and I had different fathers, so different last names. Different families. This way, you are protected, just encase." 

He...

Was he a person?

A documented person, someone wanted him.

He was a Jung now...

He had a family.

He had a family who wanted him.

Yookwon burst into happy tears. Throwing himself Yunho and hugging him tightly. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - 

Yookwon groaned. He tossed the black controller back down. There was no way he was going to be able to figure out how to put a movie on by himself.

It was the weekend, Saturday? Maybe? Yookwon was trying his hardest to put a movie on. He couldn't figure out how to switch the television from regular tv to movies. Jiho had told him before, but he couldn't remember. Which button was it? He groaned again.

Jiho also hasn't been back to the house or heard anything from him since his text on Tuesday. 

Yookwon was a little worried. 

He didn't know he could feel worried. When he talked to Jaejoong about the funny feeling in his tummy and chest, Jaejoong said he was worried about Jiho. Then Jaejoong had said that there was no reason to worry, Jiho would come back when he was ready. 

It didn't help the feeling in his stomach. 

It made his appetite all but disappeared. 

He was snacking on pretzel sticks, by snacking, he meant sucking on one until it was soggy then tossing it back onto the plate to grab another. 

Yookwon couldn't work the tv, couldn't read a book, couldn't even go outside; he was useless. A tear slipped from his closed eyes; there was no point of him being here. He couldn't do anything. 

He ended up a crying mess in the middle of the couch until Yunho found him an hour later. Yunho tried to console him, but it was no use; he couldn't even get out what was wrong with him. 

That night, he slept fitfully, tossing and turning. Sleep has been coming to him quickly since he gained a few pounds, but he couldn't sleep now. His stomach hurt, his head hurt, his hands hurt, his hips hurt, and it sometimes felt like he was swallowing something too large. Just. Everything hurt. 

When he finally did fall asleep, it was because Jaejoong had given him some pill, and all the pain was gone, but he made him sleep. 

\- - - - - - - - - -

Yookwon woke to the sounds of the door being knocked on. The sound was soft, but it echoed through the bedroom. He bolted upright in the bed as Jaejoong's voice called out. "Yookwon, I'm coming in."

Yookwon wrapped the blankets around him. Jiho's smell was gone from the quilts.

He wanted it back.

Yookwon pulled the sheets tighter as Jaejoong puttered around the room. 

It's been weeks. 

Weeks since Jiho visited.

Weeks since anyone has heard from him. 

Yookwon didn't know what to do.

There was nothing he could do. 

He spent the last few weeks trying to figure out the alphabet, he knows about half of them. He finally figured out how to use the remote control. Watching movies and TV without Jiho's comments weren't the same, though. 

Yookwon ended up watching the tv with it way too loud to stop some of the silence that was building in the house. 

He also has been trying to go out the back door to the porch over the last few weeks. He made it to the last step before sitting down. 

The back yard was beautiful; he could see where Jaejoong has spent a long time planting flowers and trees. Maybe in a few days, he would be able to make it to the little pond he could feel hear from the back of the yard.

Today, though, he was content to stick his toes in the grass just below the porch steps. The grass was scratchy to his skin. He looked up at the sky. It was so bright and beautiful; the open sky didn't have a cloud in it. 

A tingling feeling played down his spine, the tingle was followed by the pain again. 

Yookwon groaned.

The pain was getting worse every day. 

Somedays, there was no pain, then the next it was horrible. He wasn't sure why he was hurting so much. He tried talking to Jaejoong and Yunho about it, but they said it was fine. He's body is getting used to a new lifestyle, and some changes would bound to happen. 

Jaejoong had sat him down the following day during their usual yoga routine and said that they were going to incorporate weights to help him build muscle.

He had frowned at that.

The soreness and pain from his body being weird, and the yoga weights were tiring him out. He was sleeping more; he knew that. He could sleep for hours in the day time. 

Yookwon was sitting crossed-legged in the middle of the living room almost three months after Jiho disappeared when there was a loud pounding at the door. Usually, Jaejoong or Yunho would answer it, but they had both gone out for a date. So Yookwon was left home alone for a few hours that night. 

He jumped up from his spot and padded on bare feet to the front door. He peeked out of the peephole and gasped, his heart started thumping hard in his chest. 

As quickly as he could, he threw the deadbolt and flung the door open. A man he didn't recognize was standing there holding bleeding and battered Jiho against him. Who was panting, a cut bottom lip, and eyes swollen shut, and it looked like he was loosely holding his side, fingers covered in blood.

"Jiho!" Yookwon moved without thinking, he tried to reach out to grab him but hesitated, unsure of the other male.

"You Yookwon?" The male said, when he stiffly nodded, the male made a motion for him to move out of the way. He stepped back to let the male drag the now unconscious Jiho into the house.

"Jae will kill him if you let him bleed all over the couch, where's a bed?" The male said as he started towards the hall. 

Yookwon padded a wide circle around the male and pointed in the direction of his room. He pushed opened the door, quickly pulled the blankets back on the bed, and helped the man lay Jiho down. He pushed pillows around so he could see Jiho better.

Jiho was messed up bad. 

Yookwon pushed the hair out of his face and let out a deep sigh.

Missing for months, and comes back like this?

Where in the world had he been? 

A cough brought his eyes up from Jiho's still form to the male leaning against the doorjamb, staring at him. Yookwon didn't like the feel of his eyes on him.

It was creepy.

He felt like a bug.

The male was no taller himself, had flat black hair, round nose, a pointed chin, and a furrow between his brows. He looked like he was going to burst out in a laugh at any moment, but right now, he looked annoyed. Like beyond annoyed and close to pissed. Yookwon quickly looked away. He knew that Jiho wouldn't let anyone hurt him... but he was unconscious at the moment. There was no way Jiho would be able to protect him right now. 

The males' voice cut into the silence, jolting Yookwon. "I'm Park Kyung. When the asshat wakes up, tell him he owes me. Bye," Park Kyung said as he waved a hand as he left the room. He heard the front door slam a few seconds later. 

What.... what was going on? 

Yookwon sat down beside Jiho's hip, he stayed like that for a few minutes, just staring at the still form. His chest was rising and falling, but he wasn't moving and wasn't waking up. Where could he have been this whole time?

He didn't know what to do; he hadn't figured out how to use the phone yet. Even almost nine months living with Yunho, he hasn't mastered the phone yet. So he couldn't call his uncle. They would have to wait for them to come home. 

Thoughts drifted back to some of the movies he's seen. Sometimes they used washcloths to wipe away the blood. He couldn't do what was done to him when he was hurt. It had been excruciating. He would never do that to Jiho. Yookwon slowly got up to fetch a washcloth and a large bowl of warm water with a little bit of soap in it. He came back and sat beside Jiho again, placing the bowl on the nightstand. He squeezed the excess water from the cloth and started to gentle clean Jiho's face. 

As he cleaned off Jiho's face, tears started dripping down his cheeks, splashing against his linen slacks. He wasn't even sure why he was crying. He dropped the rag in the water, squeezed to rinse the blood off, and repeated the action.

Yookwon cleaned his entire face; then, he moved to start to start pulling off Jiho's clothes. Trying to find where that blood on his hands was coming from. Yookwon had to change the water a few times. But he kept working silently and didn't stop until Jiho was stripped down to his boxers. He wanted to make sure there were no cuts or bruises that needed to be cleaned. There were a few cuts on his hands, a few on his arms, and a boatload of bruising across his ribs, but nothing more serious.

Yookwon rinsed his hands and arms and drained the water down the sink. Once he washed his own hands, he moved to crawl into the bed beside Jiho. He grabbed the blanket and covered them both as he curled against his side. He made sure to touch him gently so he wouldn't cause Jiho any more pain. 

This entire time, Jiho had not moved or woken up. Should he be worried? Or was this normal for other people? He wasn't sure. He's never seen another person hurt before.

What else was he supposed to do?

He didn't know. 

He was just glad that Jiho was safe. Safe from his father. Safe from his mother. Just safe. Yookwon let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. Relaxing against Jiho. His worry about the other starting to fade. 

As he laid there, the pain to his head returned. He groaned as he stuck his nose deeper into Jiho's side. His head was pounding, all over his skin starting to hurt. His fingers and toes were hurting. There was also a pressure was building behind his eyes. He took a deep breath of Jiho's scent and tried his hardest to breathe through the pain. 

It hurt so bad. 

He had a bottle of pills that Jaejoong had given him for the pain, but he didn't think he could get up to find out at the moment. 

Everything was starting to hurt so bad.

He was crying again. Yookwon knew he was, and he couldn't stop it. Big fat tears rolled down his face and soaked the sheets under him. 

A soft touch brushed against his head, and he whimpered as the pain intensified. The probing fingers started to rub small circles on the top of his head. The pain was letting up just enough for him to move his head so he could see who was touching him. 

Large brown eyes were looking down at him from cracked swollen face. 

"J-Jiho.," he mumbled; he was awake. 

The tears started all over again. 

"Why are you crying, Kwonnie?" Jiho's voice was rough and low. Almost like he hasn't used it a while. 

"It hurts so much..." Yookwong groaned out. 

Jiho made a soft noise, curling his body around Yookwon's whimpering form. The fingers never stopped their rubbing on his head. The pain was shifting with the finger movements. He took another deep breath, he threw an arm over Jiho's hip and clung to him. 

Yookwon could hear Jiho's voice making soft, soothing sounds against the top of his head. The pain intensified, and then the pressure built on the top of his head, down to both of his ears. He cried out as a sharp and quick pain cut across both sides of his head at the same time; his back had the same sensation. 

The horrid feeling was reminding him too much of his time with his parents. He wasn't sure how long he laid there in Jiho's arms, crying and screaming.

It felt like hours.

It could have been minutes or even seconds. 

Then the pain started to dull. 

He sighed deeply and let his body relax against Jiho. He was feeling completely safe in the other's arms. 

He was hiccuping when he felt fingers wipe at his face. "Feeling better, Kwonnie?" Jiho asked, his own eyes still bruised and puffy. Yookwon nodded and moved to duck his head against Jiho's chest but bumped his ear against his chin. He hissed out in pain.

Why did his ear hurt so bad?

He felt Jiho move a hand to run his ear, he felt the gentle caress... but it wasn't in the right place. It was slightly higher than where he knew his ear was. What? 

He lifted his hand to his ear and frowned. His fingers didn't come in contact with soft skin; it hit thick hair. It twitched under his fingers. 

"Wh-whats on my ear?" He questioned Jiho, his voice sounded wrong. Raspier, his tongue felt wrong too, rougher than usual. 

"It's your ear, nothing on it, "Jiho said softly, a faint smile on his lips. Yookwon was staring at him and didn't see any weird looks on his face, only that small smile. 

Yookwon sat up so he could look in the mirror that was on the dresser, the door swung open, and he heard a gasp. He whipped his head around and spotted Jaejoong standing in the doorway with a hand over his mouth. Behind him was Yunho, both in the slacks and pressed shirts they had gone out to dinner in. 

"Yookwon! You partially shifted!" Jaejoong gasped out as he padded into the room. 

Partially shifted? 

What did that even mean? 

He crawled over Jiho's body to get out of the bed, he quickly walked over to the dresser and froze when he saw his reflection. 

In his fluffy red hair was two small triangle shaped... cat ears. He watched as the flickered back and forth. There was what he could only describe as short black fur covering both ears. There was quick movement over his shoulder, and he looked back to see a glimpse of the red tail with black fur at the tip. He looked back at the mirror, pure shock keeping his frozen. 

He had ears. 

He had a tail. 

Yookwon took a ragged breath in, but the room was suddenly sideways. 

Then he couldn't remember anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me comments; I love to hear your thoughts. 
> 
> Also, I've been using my phone lately, so if there is anything that is misspelled or unclear, please let me know so I can fix it. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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